Where is Kalonzo Musyoka as Muthama, Mutua turf wars rage?

Alfred Mutua                  PHOTO: COURTESY

By ERASTUS MULWA

Former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka’s reign as Ukambani leader is currently under a huge test.

Members of Parliament are split whether to continue supporting Kalonzo or not given that he has failed to stop the wrangling between Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama and Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua.

The never-ending political squabbles pitting Mr Muthama against Dr Mutua is mutating into an all-out supremacy battle in Ukambani politics — which does not involve Mr Kalonzo.

Muthama and Mutua, both elected on a Wiper party ticket, have been embroiled in a struggle, which even their party leader Kalonzo has been able to arbitrate.

Mutua’s charge against Muthama has been that the senator, who is a former Kangundo MP and Government Whip in the previous regime, has been frustrating his efforts to initiate development in Machakos.

Muthama has raised issues with the manner in which the county government, led by the former government spokesman, has been handling the county’s finances, accusing the governor of extravagance and getting priorities wrong.

Observers now say the bare-knuckled political battle playing out  is likely to change the politics of the entire Ukambani region altogether.

While Muthama has opted to tackle Mutua by speaking against him in public gatherings, Mutua seems to have adopted a strategy to fight back through proxy. The governor appears to have successfully pulled a large clout of leaders including MPs and Members of County Assemblies (MCAs) to his side from where he has launched a major charm offensive against the outspoken senator.

A case in point is last Thursday when Mutua hosted 15 MPs drawn from Machakos, Kitui and Makueni at Muthama’s home turf Tala to launch ‘Machakos County Comprehensive Security Programme’ where 120 police vehicles were unveiled.

The ceremony would later degenerate into bashing event against Muthama, who was conspicuously absent and somewhat unrepresented.

MPs Itwiku Mbai (Masinga), Dr Victor Munyaka (Machakos Town) and Eng Vincent Musyoka (Mwala) unleashed a scathing attack on Muthama, claiming he does not deserve to be a senator.

“We have given him three months to reform and support our development agenda in Machakos or else we will initiate a legal process to remove him from office,” said Dr Munyaka.

Dr Munyaka also accused Muthama of ‘being dishonest’ with voters for declining to honour his ‘promise to resign’ if Mutua got elected as governor.

“Muthama is even on record saying that he would resign in three days if Mutua got elected as governor, and we are yet to see that happen,” he added.

Mbai and Musyoka said the train of development has left the station and not a single individual would stop it.

The two MPs claimed that the senator has now become a lone ranger by going against the wishes of majority.

“We want to tell him that his schemes won’t work. It is for him to toe the line and join us,” said Eng Musyoka.