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Until his entry into the murky waters of Kenyan politics, Kevin Muasya, the second son of Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka was a relatively unknown figure.
Actually, until then, few people knew about the existence of Muasya, a rather youthful man with a thick beard who is the younger brother to Kennedy Musyoka, a member of the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA).
Indeed, when news broke that one of Kalonzo’s sons was interested in becoming a governor in Kitui County, many thought it was Kennedy.
But thanks to Kiema Kilonzo, the former Kenyan ambassador to Uganda, Muasya popped into Kitui political scene like a mushroom during the rainy season, and in a matter of weeks became a sensation of sorts.
The highlight of this was when Muasya and his elder brother Kennedy attended Kiema’s campaign launch at his Kavalula village home in Kitui East.
The two high-flying boys arrived in a chopper much to the amusement of Kiema who wanted to show his closeness to the Kamba kingpin, Kalonzo, and impress his excited supporters.
Every now and then, Kiema would be seen conversing with the ‘royal’ boys and smiling from ear to ear, much to the amusement of the villagers who craned their necks from the fence to catch a glimpse of the chopper and the occupants.
Soon, the brave Muasya took to the microphone and through fluent Kikamba wowed the attendants with his knowledge of local politics.
He then confirmed that indeed he was Kiema’s running mate for the governor’s seat. Kennedy who was a bit laid back did not talk much – but Kiema had achieved his mission of bagging bragging rights.
Well, Muasya’s bid to cause ripples in Kitui county politics is now water under the bridge – at least in this election.
On Tuesday, Kalonzo pulled the thunder right under the feet of Kiema and his running mate after he handed the Wiper ticket to former Kitui Governor Dr Julius Malombe.
While giving the ticket to Malombe, Kalonzo said the decision was arrived at after it was established that Kiema’s candidature was highly unpopular and could not deliver the seat for Wiper.
Muasya has since told his friends that he will concentrate on business and his father’s campaigns as he awaits to fight another election.
Muasya who holds a Master’s of International Business from Monash University in Australia is the CEO of Athini FM, a vernacular radio station with a wide reach in Ukambani region. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in business and commerce from the same university in 2011.
Before joining politics, Muasya was a board director at Tourism Regulatory Authority until he resigned to vie in Kitui. At one time, the alumni of Sunshine Secondary school worked at Cooperative Bank as a credit analyst and customer service officer.
His elder brother Kennedy, a member of EALA is a trained lawyer from the University of Nairobi. He was nominated to the regional legislative assembly in June 2017 by the Wiper party amid a furore that his father influenced the nomination.
But Kennedy defended himself as his own man: “I have been consulting for Wiper party for a while. I have been making my own contribution in strategy and I believe that is how I ended up with the nomination.”
Kalonzo’s family also boasts of a rapper and a senior employee at the Central Bank of Kenya.
The musician, Klein Kalonzo is the last born son who launched his music career in 2014 under the stage name K-Deuce. He has his own recording studio; Heart Beats Studio and his friends describe him as warm, down-to-earth and outgoing. Klein graduated with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Nairobi in 2014.
Daughter, Damaris Musenya, fondly known as Damarie in family circles bears a striking resemblance to her mother, Pauline Kalonzo.
Having studied law at Leeds University in the UK, her father proudly says she will make a better lawyer than himself. Damaris also holds a Masters in International Human Rights Law from the same university.
