Kalonzo allies dismiss Governor Mutua’s ‘Chap Chap’ movement

Political leaders allied to Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka have dismissed Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua’s new political outfit.

They termed the initiative as a scheme to scuttle Ukambani votes and not to accelerate economic growth as touted by the governor.

Dr Mutua on Saturday unveiled Maendeleo Chap Chap movement, an outfit which, he said, would foster development and unity in the region.

Wiper senators Hassan Omar (Mombasa) and Mutula Kilonzo Jnr (Makueni) scoffed at the outfit, saying Mutua would fail in his attempt to wrestle Wiper Party in the region.

They accused the governor of being used by the ruling Jubilee coalition to create confusion and deny the Opposition votes from the region.

“Wrestling Wiper Party in Ukambani will be an uphill task for him,” said Mr Kilonzo Jnr.

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Mr Omar said the governor’s claims that his opponents were plotting his removal from office were "cheap" propaganda by people not ready to be questioned on how they use public resources.

“Mutua is imagining so many things. His little fallout with Senator Johnston Muthama has become an all-out war with Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka,” said Omar.

He said Mutua’s main agenda was to take some votes from Ukambani and create confusion in some of the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) strongholds.

“He is planted to create confusion in Ukambani so that he can deny CORD votes," said the senator.

CORD Political Parties Liaison Committee chairperson Wavinya Ndeti challenged Mutua to quit Wiper and seek re-election on his new outfit, saying that it is against the Political Parties Act for one to declare joining a new political outfit while holding office on a different party.

“He should resign before starting another political outfit, and since he claims to have achieved a lot he should not be scared of seeking re-election on his new outfit,” Ms Ndeti said.

She said it was only people who have not delivered on their promises who always imagine their opponents are plotting to remove them.

“If he has done all that he claims, why always panic that some people are plotting his removal from office,” she posed.

The legal position on Governor Mutua’s announcement is that he will not lose his seat because he has not resigned from his party, Wiper, unless the party terminates his membership under the Political Parties Act and the constitution of the party.

Wiper Party National Secretary General Robert Mbui urged Dr Mutua to immediately quit the party and seek a fresh mandate from the voters.

“What Mutua did is against the Political Parties Act, and therefore an illegality. We demand of him to resign from the party to seek his re-election from his party of choice if he believes he is popular enough,” Mr Mbui, the Kathiani MP, said.

The MP said the party leadership would "soon take appropriate action" against the governor for allegedly flouting the law.

Deputy Governor Bernard Kiala, Machakos Women Representative Susan Musyoka and Ndalani MCA Stephen Muthua described Mutua’s move as ‘an embarrassment’ to the Kamba.