NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 22 — Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka resurfaced Friday night after going incognito for days with unverified reports a government-imposed house arrest.
Kalonzo, who served as Vice President under President Mwai Kibaki, failed to show up for anti-government protests that had been scheduled to commence on Wednesday with his press aid claiming on Friday he had been placed under house arrest.
His twitter account remained inactive until Friday night which was intended to be the final day of a three-day protest when he directly addressed concerns over his whereabouts.
“You should have tagged me in the post tweeted yesterday that appeared to show you cruising through the neighbourhood. My private security would have welcomed you in for a cup of tea,” Kalonzo tweeted in response to a comment by city lawyer Ahmednasir Abdullahi, his neighbour in Nairobi’s Karen.
Kalonzo later engaged in a telephone interview with a television channel where he said he was apprehensive of being arrested had he stepped out of his home.
“Of course, it is not right psychologically to feel you can’t leave your house. It’s really a combination of forced imprisonment and house arrest,” he told TV47.
Reports of Kalonzo’s alleged house arrest filtered through on Friday as the opposition readied to stage what was expected to be the third day of anti-government protests as key leaders remained conspicuously absent.
‘Under house arrest’
Paloma Gatabaki, Spokesperson to the former Vice President, had claimed that he was under house arrest since Tuesday evening.
“Yes, it is true that H.E. Kalonzo Musyoka has been under house arrest since Tuesday evening. The Subarus and land rovers have been stationed outside his Karen residence preventing him from leaving,” Gatabaki tweeted.
Gatabaki’s statement would later be confirmed by Azimio leader Raila Odinga who revealed that Kalonzo was under house arrest, sharing pictures of a section of Azimio leaders at the gate of Kalonzo’s residence.
“Representatives of our coalition Hon Opiyo Wandayi and Hon Jeremiah Kioni have today visited Hon Kalonzo Musyoka following his ongoing house arrest and detention,”stated Odinga.
Key lieutenants of Odinga however dismissed the alleged house arrest as an elaborate hoax.
Saboti MP Caleb Amisi accused Musyoka of hoodwinking Odinga for political expediency.
“Some key Azimio luminaries are lying to Raila to be arrested so that they take over the spoils of war not knowing Baba went to school of political manipulation, and you can’t trick him,” Amisi said.
Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai joined the fray asking Musyoka to support his assertions with evidence.“I don’t believe that Kalonzo is under any house arrest. Journalists and politicians who visited him didn’t see any restrictions,” he charged.
