Disquiet in Wiper over Uhuru, Kalonzo deal

Disquiet in the Wiper Democratic Movement over the recent dalliance between President Uhuru Kenyatta and party leader Kalonzo Musyoka is threatening to split the Opposition outfit.

SELFISH INTEREST
Just days after Mr Musyoka entered into an agreement with the President and declared that he was willing to be the President’s errand boy, grumbling has hit the Opposition Nasa coalition partner, with some senior members quietly dismissing the rapprochement and describing it as motivated by selfish interests.

SILENT WAR
The silent war is being led by Makueni governor and party chairman, Prof Kivutha Kibwana. A source told the Nation that, though silent, the intensity of the war is so high that it is a just a matter of time before it snowballs into a full-blown crisis that could work against the party’s 2022 presidential ambitions.
So bad is the situation that Prof Kibwana last week threatened to resign from his position as chairman after he was roundly dismissed by the party's rank and file after he posted on Facebook an article critical of Mr Musyoka.

PRECONDITION
In an October 9 meeting, Mr Musyoka had the President commit to the initial agreement. It was at the meeting that the former vice president gave the President a number of projects that have to be completed as a precondition to endorsing President Kenyatta.

Among the projects that the Wiper leader wants the President to fast track is the Kibwezi-Mutomo-Kitui-Mwingi-Kandwia -Gatunga-Usueni Road. He also wants the completion of Wikithuki Irrigation Scheme in Tseikuru and the Tseikuru Airstrip, the Kiambere-Mwingi Water Project and Sanitation Project Systems (phase two) and the High Grand Falls Dam traversing Tharaka/Nithi and Kitui counties, which will revolutionise agriculture and alleviate poverty in the region.

NOT CONSULTED
It is also murmured that, during the meeting, the former VP passed to the President names of his supporters who should be appointed to the public service as part of the deal.
Prof Kibwana has privately expressed anger that, while he is a key pillar in the party and Ukambani politics, he was neither consulted on the meeting and that he had no input in everything that was submitted to the President.
We have learnt the governor feels alienated from major decisions made by Mr Musyoka even though he is the chairman of the party, which makes him believe that he is of no use and that his time in the party is up.

TRANSITION
Similarly, a source close to the governor has further intimated that he is determined to manage his transition in Makueni, but he believes he cannot do it through the party as it seems to have settled on Senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior who is eyeing the seat.
“The governor has made up his mind. He will leave the party. All these issues he is raising and constant attacks directed to the party leader is meant to prepare the ground for his impending exit,” the source said.

AMIABLE

On Sunday, Mr Kilonzo Junior refused to be dragged into the governor’s attacks towards Mr Musyoka, arguing that, as senator, he has provided an amiable environment for the governor to deliver on his vision.

National Assembly deputy minority leader Robert Mbui said Prof Kibwana’s grumbling is a plan by the county chief to exit the party as a strategy to push his own candidature for President in 2022.
“The attack on the party leader by Prof Kibwana has nothing to do with his declaration to work with President Kenyatta but all about the 2022 succession. The governor is just positioning himself and we will not allow him to rock the party,” the Kathiani MP said.

WISH LIST
Prof Kibwana has expressed doubts that Mr Musyoka’s wish list will ever be implemented. He said that the projects were proposed after the budget cycle and cannot be implemented in this financial year.