Kalonzo refuses to be drawn into Kitui troubles

Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Governor Charity Ngilu at a past event. [File, Standard]

Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has asked leaders to stop trying to pull him into a political battle pitting Governor Charity Ngilu and members of the county assembly.

Kalonzo said he was neither a ward representative nor an MP to be asked to stop other leaders from expressing their views.

He was speaking on Saturday during the burial of Musyoka Munyambu at Kalisasi village in Mwingi Central.

Munyambu was chairman of the defunct Mwingi town council.

Kalonzo lashed out at Sports Executive Koki Musau for his unsolicited advice that "he should deal with Wiper-allied MCAs who are embroiled in a war of words with Ms Ngilu".

“I want to state openly that mimi sio MCA wala MP (I am neither an MCA nor an MP). So don’t pull me into the problems affecting this county. You should solve your troubles without unnecessarily dragging me in,” Kalonzo said.

Mr Musau, who delivered Ngilu’s message of condolence, had told Kalonzo to rein in his Wiper allies, who he accused of sabotaging the governor’s development agenda over budgetary allocations.

“You should tame your party brigade from fighting our governor, otherwise we will derail your political ambitions at home in revenge,” Musau said.

But Kalonzo swiftly dismissed Musau, warning him that he was not “a smooth soup to gulp".

The Wiper boss said he was dismayed that whenever there was disagreement between Ngilu’s administration and the county assembly, people invoked his name without any justification. The MCAs have been threatening to impeach the governor.

Kalonzo directed MCAs to be steadfast and serve the electorate diligently by initiating development projects in their wards without fear or intimidation.

Other leaders who attended the burial included former Kitui Senator David Musila, MPs Robert Mbui (Kathiani), Joshua Mwalyo (Masinga) and host Gedion Mulyungi.