Resign, Kalonzo Musyoka tells ‘rebel’ Wiper leaders

Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has dared those dissatisfied with the party leadership to resign and seek a fresh mandate.

He said party would crack the whip on errant elected members in a move seen as an attempt to instill confidence following a string of political upheavals in his Ukambani stronghold.

Speaking at a press conference at Wiper party headquarters in Lavington on Friday, Mr Musyoka stripped majority leaders in Makueni and Machakos county assemblies of their positions for initiating impeachment motions against Prof Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni Governor) and Bernard Kiala (Machakos Deputy Governor).

“We want to restore order and discipline in our party,” Mr Musyoka ,who was flanked by party leaders, said.

“Those treating the party with disdain should resign. You are free to seek fresh mandate through other parties including the ruling Jubilee Alliance,” he said.

Although he did not direct his warning shots to any particular leader, Mr Musyoka appeared to refer to some governors who have threatened to leave the party.

Governors Kibwana, Julius Malombe (Kitui), and Alfred Mutua (Machakos) have accused the party of failing to contain ward reps. The three said that the MCAs have been disrupting operations.

STRONG MESSAGE

Mr Kalonzo said by de-whipping Mr Francis Mutuku of Makueni and his Machakos counterpart Mr Joshua Mwonga, the party was sending a strong message that discipline within the party must be upheld.

The former Vice-President made the announcement soon after chairing a national executive council meeting.

“Matters have deteriorated. Our leaders are even fighting in public,” he said.

Mr Kalonzo was referring to an incident at the Makueni assembly where a group supporting Prof Kibwana and another opposing him clashed, leaving several people injured.

He said the de-whipped majority leaders mobilised MCAs in their respective counties to impeach their county bosses.

Mr Musyoka said the two have failed to uphold the ideals of Wiper. He took issue with Mr Mutuku for fighting in public during the Makueni chaos.

“I had agreed with the Makueni Majority leader that the impeachment of the governor be stopped but he defied me. I called him on the day the impeachment was to take place but his phone was switched off,” he said.

Mr Musyoka said the two de-whipped leaders had been called to defend themselves but they remained defiant.

He said the party arrived at the decision to de-whip them after invoking section 4(8) of their constitution.

Mr Musyoka spoke a day after jetting in from a month-long trip to the UK, China and South Africa.