MACHAKOS, Kenya Oct 17 – Maendeleo Chap Chap party leader Alfred Mutua has challenged Wiper party leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, to exit the national political scene and pave way for “younger and visionary leaders” to rescue the Kamba nation from political bondage.
In a strongly-worded statement released on Saturday, Mutua charged that Kalonzo’s 36-year reign as Ukambani political supremo had driven the community to the a “bottomless pit of poverty”, underdevelopment and political desperation.
“The Ukambani region has been under the so called leadership of Kalonzo for 36 years and truth be told, the region has only become poorer because he is not a person whose politics lead us towards development. He has been concentrating on amassing power for himself and taking care of his immediate family and those close to him,” the Machakos Governor said.
He accused Kalonzo of using his role as the region’s political kingpin to capture and colonize the minds of residents for his personal expediency. “He has used the principle that as long as people remain poor and ignorant, they will still think that he is the master and the savior, but things have changed,” said Mutua
Citing last week’s by-election for Nguu/Masumba Ward in Makueni county where the Wiper candidate, Eshio Mwaiwa came a distant third after being defeated by Independent Candidate, Timothy Maneno and UDA’s Daniel Musau, Mutua said Ukambani residents were progressively moving towards political liberation.
“The time has expired for Kalonzo Musyoka. You cannot continue to purport that you are the leader for Ukambani. The times have shifted and I am calling upon my fellow leaders including Governors Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni) and Charity Ngilu (Kitui), Senators, MPs, religious leaders and professionals to now have the strength to free our people from the yoke of mind control where they have been told to remain poor and proud,” Mutua charged.
Mutua’s call comes barely two weeks after the chairperson of the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), Archbishop Timothy Ndambuki warned political leaders from Ukambani region that the community risked being left out of mainstream Government after next year’s General Election.
Ndambuki said failure by top political leaders in the region to provide solid political direction for the community was a serious disaster which could plunge the community to another cycle of political oblivion.
“I strongly feel that as a community we are not moving at the right speed to align ourselves strategically ahead of next year’s election. Our political leaders must set aside their selfish interests and put the interests of the people first,” said Archbishop Ndambuki.
Dr Mutua, Prof Kibwana and Kalonzo have all declared they will be on the race for the country’s top job that has also attracted former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, Deputy President William Ruto, Musalia Mudavadi (Amani National Congress-ANC), Kalonzo, Gideon Moi (KANU), Moses Wetangula (Ford Kenya), Murang’a Governor Mwangi Wa Iria, businessman Jimmy Wanjigi among others.
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