Ruto warns Kalonzo of ‘opposition humiliation’

By  Pius Maundu

Correspondent

Nation Media Group

What you need to know:

• President Ruto said Mr Musyoka is not guaranteed the opposition’s presidential ticket and could again be subjected to a vetting process by his allies. 
• President Ruto's remarks came as the Wiper leader led a delegation to meet Democracy for the Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua in Wamunyoro.

President William Ruto has warned Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka that he risks fresh political humiliation at the hands of the United Opposition, as the Head of state intensified his efforts to woo the former Vice-President as political realignments gather pace ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Speaking at a rally in Tseikuru Township, Kitui County on Monday, the President argued that Mr Musyoka was not guaranteed the opposition’s presidential ticket and could again be subjected to a vetting process by his allies. 

His remarks came as the Wiper leader led a delegation of his lieutenants to meet Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP) leader Rigathi Gachagua in the former Deputy President's Wamunyoro residence in Nyeri county.

The meeting between Mr Musyoka and Mr Gachagua is believed to be part of a fresh round of consultations over the opposition’s leadership and possible presidential ticket.

President Ruto portrayed himself as a more reliable political partner for Mr Musyoka, recalling what he described as the humiliation the Wiper leader suffered when the opposition subjected him to an interview ahead of the 2022 General Election.

“They took him through an interview in 2022. You saw him being asked about his personal details and his achievements. That was humiliation. These people are used to humiliating Kalonzo. The same people who organised the interview in 2022 are planning another one soon. Instead of Kalonzo going for another interview, he should join me,” he said.

Mr Musyoka was a central figure in the President’s three day tour of Kitui and Makueni counties with Dr Ruto repeatedly invoking their political history while urging the Wiper leader to support his re-election bid.

“Deliver my greetings to Mr Musyoka and remind him that when I was a member of YK92 in 1992, I came to Tseikuru to campaign for Kalonzo’s re-election. He should return the favour by supporting my re-election bid,” President Ruto said while launching an affordable housing project in Kabati Township, Kitui County.

The President’s charm offensive extended to one of Mr Musyoka’s most politically sensitive local issues which is the the state of the road leading to his rural home in Tseikuru.

The launch of the Kandwia-Kyuso-Tseikuru Road was a highlight of the tour. The dusty road has previously featured in attacks by Mr Ruto and his allies, who accused the former Vice-President of failing to secure its upgrading despite his long service in senior government positions.

But on Monday, the President struck a different tone, portraying Ukambani as a region that had suffered marginalisation under previous administrations while promising to address the problem through targeted investments.

The President directed the contractor upgrading the 55-kilometre road to extend it to Mr Musyoka’s doorstep, about three kilometres from Tseikuru Township.

The gesture marked a shift from using the road as a symbol of the Wiper leader’s alleged leadership failures to presenting its improvement as part of the government’s development agenda for the region.

The President also launched the construction of student hostels at Tseikuru National Polytechnic pledging to expand accommodation as enrolment rises.

“The Sh145 million project will provide accommodation for 340 students. We shall build another block to house more students at the institution, whose population is growing rapidly. It has 1,600 students,” he said.

The President's allies appeared to take their cue from Dr Ruto with some softening their attacks on Mr Musyoka and openly entertaining the possibility of a political rapprochement.

Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse alluded to speculation about talks between the President and the Wiper leader ahead of the 2027 elections when he urged Dr Ruto to welcome his former political rival, should he seek an alliance.

“In case Mr Musyoka comes knocking, open the door for him. He has been humiliated by the opposition,” Mr Mutuse told the President after the commissioning of Kathekani Secondary School in Makueni County. The school was constructed by Kenya Railways Corporation at a cost of Sh250 million.

The President’s development announcements across Makueni included electrification projects and the launch of the Wote-Kako-Ngoluni and Machinery-Kyumani-Kyanginywa-Mbelia roads.

The four day tour, which has taken the President through Kitui, Machakos and Makueni counties, is scheduled to conclude on Tuesday with the launch of a cement and clinker factory at Ngaie in Kitui County.

The Sh70 billion factory is owned by businessman Narendra Raval, founder of the Devki Group of Companies, which owns the Simba Cement brand. It is expected to create 4,000 direct jobs, stimulate local trade and improve livelihoods across Kitui County.

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