Palace Coup: Inside Kalonzo Musyoka plot to take over Azimio from Raila Odinga
Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka (centre) accompanied by DAP-K Party leader Eugene Wamalwa (right) and Usawa Kwa Wote Party leader Mwangi wa Iria (left) address a gathering in Ol Rongai, Nakuru County on February 29, 2024.
What you need to know:
- Mr Musyoka seeking to ride on Mr Odinga’s candidature for AU top seat to rally other Azimio to coalesce around him.
- Mr Musyoka and Mr Wamalwa have separately declared their plans to run for the presidency in the next poll.
Re-emergence of Kanu boss Gideon Moi in the political scene has lifted the lid on Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka’s scheme to revive One Kenya Alliance (OKA) wing of Azimio in a plan to take over the coalition from Raila Odinga.
Initial OKA had brought together Mr Musyoka, Mr Moi, Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula and Musalia Mudavadi, who was then Amani National Congress (ANC) boss in protest against Mr Odinga’s plan to run in 2022.
Reasons for its revival mirrors the ones in the run up to the last poll that were designed to isolate Mr Odinga and force him into backing another candidate for the top seat.
Mr Moi on Wednesday hosted Mr Musyoka, his Democratic Action Party - Kenya (DAP-K) counterpart Eugene Wamalwa and Usawa Kwa Wote party boss Mwangi wa Iria at his Kabarak home in Nakuru county.
The trio spent the night in Nakuru before having a rally yesterday in the town.
Prospects for the formation of another broader coalition became evident yesterday during a meet the people tour in Nakuru by Mr Musyoka, Mr Wa Iria and Mr Wamalwa.
‘Nation’ has established that the Kabarak meeting was preceded by another one between Mr Musyoka and Mr Moi at SKM Command Centre in Nairobi county where they discussed 2027 elections. Mr Moi has kept a low profile following Azimio loss in the last presidential poll to Kenya Kwanza.
Mr Musyoka is said to be seeking to ride on Mr Odinga’s candidature for the continent’s top secretariat seat– that could potentially exit him from local politics – to rally other Azimio to coalesce around him and subsequently back him in the 2027 General Election.
“We don’t want this issue to be misconstrued. Azimio will and shall remain to strengthen the multiparty politics and democracy in Kenya at all times. There will be no political gap in Azimio and we are not relenting in the call for equity and lowering the cost of living that have bedeviled Kenyans,” Mr Musyoka said yesterday in Nakuru.
Mr Musyoka and Mr Wamalwa have separately declared their plans to run for the presidency in the next poll and have since launched joint popularization bid, with insiders revealing plans for the two to fly a joint ticket with Mr Musyoka as the flagbearer and Mr Wamalwa as a running mate.
On Thursday Mr Wamalwa let the cat out of the bag when he suggested the leaders were in agreement that Mr Musyoka will be the automatic pick and should fill the Opposition leader slot in Mr Odinga’s political absence.
“This is akin to a football match. The team captain has taken a break and is handing over the armband to Mr Musyoka,” Wamalwa said in Nakuru.
On Wednesday before the Kabarak meeting, the three first joined Mr Odinga for the Homa Bay County’s International Investment Conference, where Mr Musyoka openly said that he was prepared to take over the leadership of Azimio should Mr Odinga succeed in his AU job quest.
“There is no vacuum in leadership when Raila leaves. I am available, and the Azimio coalition will put the government on the right track on governance,” said Kalonzo.
He added, “My brother Raila’s candidature is bipartisan. It is for both Azimio and Kenya Kwanza coalitions. I, therefore, want to tell him to leave us with the responsibility of telling the government where it is going wrong.”
Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua, a close ally of Mr Musyoka told Nation that the former Vice President was pulling all the strings to win the support of his co-principals in his 2027 presidential bid.
He said Mr Musyoka has since lined up joint rallies with some of the leaders, including this Sunday when he will be joined by Mr Wamalwa, Mr Iria and former Cabinet Secretary Peter Munya for a rally in Embu.
“Kanu, which is headed by Gideon, is an affiliate party of Azimio. So we were not reaching out to a stranger but an ally. Our party leader and his partners spent the night in Nakuru and today we held two rallies there,” said Mr Wambua.
He added, “We are not going to wait for endorsement from anyone. The only endorsement we expect is from God and the people. People have been telling us they want to see Kalonzo moving around the country; that is what we have started doing.”
According to Mr Wairia, Azimio is a coalition governed by values and principles of equity , equality and they would remain open to engagements with other political parties that share in their ideology.
“We have settled the debate on Mr Odinnga’s bid for AUC and given him our support. We cannot complain when he ascends politically. This is now the time to reconsider issues affecting Kenyans and we have leaders like Kalonzo, Hassan Joho, Wamalwa and even myself who can continue speaking for the rest of Kenyans,” the former Murang’a governor said
Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu said some of their coalition partners, especially ODM, have been unfair to Mr Musyoka after some allies of Mr Odinga gave out conditions before the outfit can back the former Vice President.
“Our party leader has been so faithful and patient with Azimio and anyone giving us conditions is being unfair to him. We are at a point now where we don’t care who wants to support or not because Kalonzo has to be on the ballot,” said Mr Mulu.
He said that the OKA wing of Azimio was still alive therefore it did not require any revival.
He said Mr Musyoka and Mr Moi, who were both in OKA are still close and have since been joined by other like-minded politicians in Mr Wawalwa, Mr Iria and Mr Munya.
The OKA initial push to field a joint presidential candidate in the 2022 polls, flopped after former President Uhuru Kenyatta managed to convince Mr Musyoka and Mr Moi to back Mr Odinga while Mr Mudavadi and Mr Wetang’ula bolted out to team up with President William Ruto.
Mr Musyoka – who turned 70 years on December 24 – has vowed not to back Mr Odinga again, stating that giving up on his presidential ambition again like he did in 2013, 2017 and 2022 would mean he retires from active politics because of age.
In a recent interview with Nation, Mr Musyoka exuded confidence of getting the backing of Mr Odinga and the Azimio coalition.
“Giving up my presidential ambition would actually mean I go home. It is as simple as that. That means that is not an option. What it means is that giving up my presidential ambition is not an option. That is basically what I am telling you,” said Mr Musyoka.
Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni yesterday declined to align himself with the emerging Kalonzo-led faction, stating that Azimio remains a team.
He said coalition partners will naturally align with one of the leaders should Mr Odinga exit local politics.
“Azimio has always been a team, even with the presence of Raila, it has never become a one-man guitar. People will align themselves at the right time without being told who to align themselves with,” said Mr Kioni.
DAP-K Secretary General Eseli Simiyu hinted at the emergence of a new coalition in the run-up to the next poll.
“What you are seeing is political jostling within Azimio. Wamalwa and Kalonzo have both declared their interest and have to rally for support within and outside the coalition,” said Simiyu.
Some of Mr Musyoka allies have asked the Wiper boss to chart his own path while claiming that ODM may decline to back him.
On Tuesday, Wiper Deputy Party leader Farah Maalim said it was clear ODM politicians were setting the stage to ditch Mr Musyoka ahead of the 2027 General Election.
“They are simply looking for a way to support somebody else. If he (Mr Musyoka) is smart enough, he must rethink his strategy in the best way possible and cut his losses early enough because it's better to live in reality than live in fantasy,” Mr Maalim said.
Mr Maalim further said from the foregoing, any hope of ODM supporting Mr Musyoka's bid would be akin to daydreaming.
"It does not, however, come as a surprise to us. It doesn’t matter how many times you sacrifice for him (Mr Odinga). I think he is looking for a way to support somebody else,” Mr Maalim said.
This was in response to Mr Odinga’s allies who at the weekend issued fresh demands should Mr Musyoka wish to earn their support for the presidential race.
Azimio National Executive Council chairman Wycliffe Oparanya, who is also ODM deputy party leader, had said the coalition has other principals and it would not be fair for Mr Musyoka to act as if he is the only candidate for the top seat.
“Kalonzo should be able to stand on his own. Why should he need Raila’s support? Assuming Raila will still be in Azimio, then the support is guaranteed. But he cannot use his support for mzee (Mr Odinga) since 2013 as the reason he should be endorsed because mzee has never been successful,” Mr Oparanya said.
