Kalonzo’s obsession with self could kill his 2012 presidential dreams

By Kenneth Kwama

Last week, Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka floundered when he disclosed at a rally in Kangundo he was cobbling up an alliance of the Kikuyu, Kamba and Kalenjin communities to back up his presidential bid in 2012.

Kalonzo claimed his votes in the Rift-Valley Province disappeared when Agriculture Minister William Ruto announced his presidential bid in 2007. Like a spoilt kid who believes all the sweets on the shop rack are his by right, he pronounced the votes would now come back because he was now working with Ruto.

The VP, who also goes by the name Brother Stevo, mentioned Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and his Internal Security counterpart, George Saitoti as other members of the union christened KKK Alliance.

If these big names are in the alliance, it is only natural to ask: So what makes Kalonzo think he is their automatic choice for president?

Water Minister Charity Ngilu recently provided the answer when she said Kalonzo plays the politics of me, myself and I.

Simply put, Brother Stevo is so steeped in self-love that he has now lost track of what is happening in the real country he hopes to rule.

That is why he finds it so easy to talk about tribal alliances when memories of the post-election violence are still fresh. People are talking reforms, new constitution and a number of other issues fundamental to our existence as a people, but all the VP can think about is 2012.

This is outrageous. But in mitigation, Kalonzo pointed out that a delegation of elders from Meru also visited Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s home in Bondo, ‘but nobody complained’.

I don’t know why Brother Stevo keeps comparing himself to Raila. Granted, the PM is also campaigning, in fact even more ferociously than the VP is, but it is difficult to accuse him of tribalism or even premature campaigns because of the manner he is doing it.

Raila is more tactful, more strategic and a much better organiser. Kalonzo is right when he says Raila is also reaching out to other tribes that didn’t back his presidential bid in 2007. But unlike Brother Stevo who seems to be hunching his bid on the triple K alliance, Raila is reaching out to almost all tribes and unlike the VP, is careful not to show his hand.

Definitely, the PM was aware of the visit to Bondo by Meru elders, but you can’t accuse him of tribalism or early campaigns because the foray was organised by Imenti Central MP, Gitobu Imanyara while elders were hosted by their Luo counterparts.

It is wrong for politicians to start campaigning for 2012 in whichever manner, but when such campaigns take the form of tribal blocks and scary overtones – the kind of ‘we against them’ mentality that flamed the post-election violence, we should all be afraid.

It is not wrong for Kalonzo to dream of becoming president. But anyone interested in politics may find his imitation of the PM’s actions laughable.

If Kalonzo wants to be president, he should stand up and be his own person, embrace the bigger picture and first work and make the country a better place.

—Kwama ([email protected]) is a Senior writer with The Standard.