Kalonzo, Matiang'i vow to defeat State-sponsored propaganda

Former CS Fred Matiang'i and Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka at a past event in Wamunyoro, Nyeri County. [File, Standard]

Wiper party leader, Kalonzo Musyoka and former Interior Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang'i have vowed to defeat what they termed as State-sponsored propaganda aimed at scuttling the unity of the united opposition.

Speaking at Kalonzo Musyoka's Yatta ranch in Machakos county on Friday where he hosted a lunch for university dons and students' leaders, the two leaders declared the attempts by some elements in the Kenya Kwanza administration to scatter the opposition is an exercise in futility.

"Kalonzo Musyoka and I have been the targets of choice for this administration for propaganda, malice and cyberspace nonsense. I wish they spend as much time in the right things or even the money they are spending paying bloggers to create lies about us. Why can't they give such money to schools so that our children can access free education?" Matiang'I posed.

The former CS charged that Kenya Kwanza had resulted in peddling lies in a desperate move to stay in power after deploying a similar strategy to ascend to power.

"In 2022, they went around the country telling voters the things they (the voters) wanted to hear, knowing very well that they would not fulfil any of those promises and now they have started season two of such lies," he said.

The former CS said the unity test was a price every opposition chief was willing to pay and no amount of smear campaign would distract them from pushing the agenda of changing the country's political leadership in the next general election.

"There are people who lost their lives fighting for the independence of this country. What we are being asked to do is nothing compared to what our forefathers have done, and the sacrifices some people have made to get Kenya to where it is today," Matiang'I said.

His sentiments were echoed by Kalonzo who said the united opposition is strong and focused on redeeming Kenyans from the vagaries of misrule. "This team is strong. They (Kenya Kwanza) pray every day that we disintegrate but we know that if we do not hold together we will have let Kenyans down and we can't afford that," said Kalonzo.

He observed that the country's educations standards had sunk a record low under President Ruto's administration and asked Kenyans to rally behind the opposition in order to restore the glory of the Kenyan education system.

"Our country is currently in a messy situation. Poverty levels have gone up since the current regime came into power. There is no longer dignity of being a university student," Kalonzo said.

Meanwhile, a section of university dons who spoke at the forum challenged the opposition not only to stay united but also to move out of their comfort zones and sell their manifesto across the country.

David Osebe, who teaches Political Geography at Kenyatta University said, "In order to attain victory, venture outside your respective geographical backgrounds. You are already known to your community. Get out of the comfort zone and explore the entire country to build relationships with voters," he said.

The lecturers pledged to spearhead a data-driven campaign strategy that will help in securing victory for the united opposition come 2027.