Muthama drops Senate bid, accuses Kalonzo of betrayal

CORD co-chairman Johnston Muthama PHOTO:COURTESY

Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama has severed ties with Wiper Party.

Mr Muthama accused party leader Kalonzo Musyoka of imposing candidates on voters in the controversial nominations.

Muthama cited unjust nominations for the governor’s seats in Makueni, Machakos and Kitui counties, which he blamed on the party leader.

He declared he no longer wanted to be associated with the party and encouraged disgruntled aspirants to run as Independents.

Muthama threatened that he would not defend his Senate seat if the race for Machakos governor’s seat would be narrowed to a contest between Governor Alfred Mutua (Chap Chap) and Wiper’s Wavinya Ndeti.

“It is no longer a democratic party. To put it plainly, as I always prefer to do, I cannot go out and campaign for Wiper anywhere in this country,” Muthama declared in a stinging seven-page statement in which he detailed the alleged irregularities.

INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES

“I encourage those blackmailed by the party to take the option of running as independent candidates. I am contemplating my next move. There will be a bruising political battle in Ukambani. The voice of the people will be heard. They will never be ignored or bullied, ever again,” declared the Senate Minority Whip.

Muthama is the second high-ranking official from Wiper to quit the party after Kitui Senator David Musila quit to run as an independent after losing contested nominations to Governor Julius Malombe.

Signs that Muthama, who is the party’s representative at the National Super Alliance (NASA) National Coordinating Committee (NCC) was not happy with Wiper emerged when he failed to attend the coalition’s unveiling of Raila Odinga and Kalonzo as the Opposition’s presidential flag-bearer and running mate respectively.

Muthama is NCC’s co-chair together with James Orengo (ODM), Dr Eseli Simiyu (Ford Kenya) and Sakwa Bunyasi (Amani).

Earlier, Kalonzo had publicly chided Muthama for fighting Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana who at the time was in Muungano party.

Muthama, who convened a press briefing at his private offices in Gigiri, Nairobi, accused Kalonzo of stifling internal democracy.

In particular, he accused Kalonzo of imposing candidates on the electorate, and using ‘all manner of tricks’ to ensure aspirants of his own (Kalonzo) choice became Wiper party candidates in various electoral areas.

“Recent developments and party decisions have gravely disappointed me. A culture of killing democracy has emerged in our party and repression has been promoted. The party leader has been imposing candidates on the people and ensuring that, by hook or crook, these people become Wiper candidates,” Muthama said.

Such a move, Muthama says, killed ambitions of some devoted members of Wiper party who wished to contest for various elective positions on the party’s ticket.

“In Makueni, a direct ticket was given to Prof Kivutha Kibwana, a defector whose party Muungano had an illegal pact forced down the throats of Wiper members by the party leader,” said Muthama.

Initially, veteran real estate guru, David Lloyd Masika had declared interest in the party’s ticket to run for the seat held by Prof Kibwana but was forced to seek another party, The New Democrats, after it emerged that the governor had secured Wiper’s party ticket.

“There is now a real risk for Wiper losing seats in Makueni because frustrated aspirants have decamped or gone independent. The voters are also bitter about the party,” said Muthama.

 Muthama, whose preferred candidate for the party’s ticket for Machakos governor’s seat, Bernard Kiala, lost in recent Wiper primaries to former Kathiani MP Wavinya Ndeti, insisted Wavinya should not have been allowed to participate in the Wiper party primaries in the first place.

“Kiala was the legitimate Wiper candidate in Machakos and defender-in-chief of the party, considering that Alfred Mutua bolted out of the party and formed his own party, breaking his attachment from Wiper. Dr Mutua was imposed on the people of Machakos in 2013 by the same Wiper leader who is now presenting Wavinya Ndeti,” he retorted.

It appears the senator is yet accept Wavinya’s win in the nominations, or concede Kiala’s loss considering he still poked holes on the coalition agreement between Wiper and CCU in which Wavinya and her running mate, outgoing East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA) MP Peter Mathuki would share government on 50-50 basis should they win the August 8th election.

Kiala, in an email to the press, says his attempt to press for free and fair nominations by Wiper party’s National Elections Board was never considered.

Said Muthama: “Wavinya Ndeti, another defector who is still a member of Chama Cha Uzalendo (CCU), was given a direct ticket to run as a Wiper gubernatorial candidate in Machakos in a purported agreement between Wiper and CCU.”

 The senator alleged a scheme to ensure losers in Machakos governor’s seat in the primaries were time-barred.

“It is necessary to note that, in Machakos, the nominations for gubernatorial and other positions were pushed to the last days,” Muthama said.