Kalonzo accuses leaders of election manipulation

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka in Malava campaigning for Sth Panyako on November 21, 2025. [Mary Imenza, Standard]

Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka accuse political leadership, accusing senior figures in government of attempting to manipulate elections and undermining Kenya's democratic foundation.

Speaking during a church service in Kiambu on Sunday, Kalonzo said the actions being witnessed ahead of several by-elections were a threat to national stability and a clear

departure from the Kenya envisioned under Vision 2030.

"We in Vision 2030 wanted a country where, by 2030, citizens enjoy a high quality of life," he said.

"The current president wants to make Kenya like Singapore. It is good to have progressive thoughts, but first things first. A country cannot move forward with rampant corruption and

a failed education system."

He criticised the state of education in the country, arguing that the government had abandoned the spirit of free primary education introduced under former President Mwai Kibaki.

"Free primary education is no longer free. It is time we fix the education system in the country. We have been experimenting with our children for too long. We cannot drive this

country to first-world status if we have messed up the education of children - besides the extrajudicial killings. Education is the only equaliser in life and the only true investment a

family can give its children," he said.

Kalonzo paid tribute to the late President Kibaki, crediting him for the 2010 Constitution, which he described as a lasting legacy that enshrines freedom of worship and protects

citizens from unchecked state power.

He reminded the congregation that some of the leaders now in office strongly opposed the document during its creation.

"The only thing we can remember President Kibaki for is the 2010 Constitution. It is through this Constitution that we have freedom of worship without limitation," he said.

Addressing church leaders directly, Kalonzo urged them to remain firm and avoid being swayed by politicians who, he claimed, were using religion for personal gain.

"Can the church leadership know that you should not follow political leaders blindly? You are the salt of the earth. Leaders should follow the church, not the other way round," he said.

"When the church is not firm, cartel people come their business is not to lead but to loot."

He warned that the country could not achieve economic progress while corruption and political thuggery dominate the political space. Citing the chaos recently witnessed in Malava,

he claimed that criminals posing as law enforcers were being deployed to intimidate voters.

"In Malava, those firing at the governor are not police but goons. If we can run the country with goonism, then the dream of becoming a first-class nation is dead," he said.

Kalonzo said the bribery of voters and intimidation tactics ahead of Thursday's by-elections fell below the standards of a democratic society.

He accused powerful individuals of planning to "grab" the Mbeere North, Unguja, and Malava seats, warning that any attempt to steal the will of the people amounted to

"misrepresentation of the Kenyan voter."

"The church has a big role in saving this country. Speak truth to power. Nobody should bribe you to vote in a certain direction. Kenyans are a sovereign people," he urged.

Kalonzo warned that Kenya stands at a crossroads if allow goons to take charge of running campaigns. "We can have a country governed by law or a country run by goons. The

choice we make now will define the Kenya our children inherit."