Kalonzo in UK to build Wiper wave

Wiper Leader Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka took with him a member of "Building Bridges" committee to Birmingham, United Kingdom over the weekend to explain the initiative to diaspora supporters of his party.

At the launch of the Wiper Democratic Party Chapter in the UK in on Saturday evening, Kalonzo was accompanied by Building Bridges Committee member Rose Museo who is also the Makueni County Woman Representative at the National Assembly.

The Building Bridges Committee was co-formed by President Uhuru Kenyatta and NASA leader Raila Odinga to implement their "handshake" deal. Initially, Kalonzo was cagey about the handshake but now he says he has wholly embraced it.

He told Wiper Democratic Movement supporters at the event that he supports the deal "whole-heartedly" together with its initiatives such as the committee, fight against corruption and lifestyle audit among others.

"Kenya is at crossroads and requires participation of all of us to curb the runaway corruption and to bring down spiraling national debt," said the former Vice President.

Mr Kalonzo said the Wiper Party UK Chapter is aimed at taking advantage of the increasing diaspora participation in local Kenyan politics as a way of giving them a platform to exercise their democratic rights.

During the last general elections, NASA-UK Chapter contributed millions of Kenyan Shillings to NASA coalition to support its campaigns and after the election petitions following the annulment of the presidential elections by the Supreme Court.

Mr Musyoka congratulated the organisers of the event who reiterated the important role the diaspora plays shaping the Kenyan politics.

Rebranding push

Wiper Party Interim Chairman Patrick Kiilu said the Wiper Democratic Party UK Chapter was privileged to have the Wiper Leader presence to launch the Party.

Mr Kiilu told the Kenyan Wiper delegation that the Wiper UK Chapter had lined up different initiatives that would not only change the political culture of impunity and corruption in Kenya but also would bring Wiper Party into the international landscape

In the recent past Wiper Democratic Movement has been engaged in a number of ground breaking initiatives aimed at rebranding the party as the party of choice for many disfranchised opposition supporters as more parties become get involved internal squabbles.

One key development was last month's grand opening of a magnificent three storey building on the Southern bypass in Nairobi, which has been decorated with the party's colours.

The spacious facility which makes party headquarters more easily accessible was first in a series of rebranding activities that will see youthful leaders enticed to assume key roles in the party.

The facility will host the party's national secretariat as well as provide logistical support to support party's nationwide outreach programmes and serve as the nerve centre of the 2022 campaign.

The Party leader said that he was also actively engaged in reaching out to like-minded political parties and leaders to build national political alliances for the future.

Change of tact

He revealed the ongoing Democratic Party negotiations with a UK national political party that will see youth from Kenya being given an opportunity to visit UK to receive training and placement opportunities to receive first-hand experience on running issue based campaign in Kenya as opposed to politics of stomach and ethnicity prevalent in Kenya politics.

The Leader of the third largest party in Kenya said the Kenya-UK youth programme aim is to develop a class of national youth Leaders who will revolutionise how campaigns are run whereby it is not the amount of money poured out to the electorates or the ethnic community the person comes from but the changes the would be politician would bring to the people. He said this is needed if chaos associated with Kenyan elections is to end during election period.

In April a Kamba leaders across Kitui, Makueni and Machakos counties endorsed Kalonzo Musyoka as the Presidential candidate for the 2022 elections.

Dubbed as 'Koma Declaration', the community leaders, professionals, church leaders and elders vowed to speak with one voice and support Kalonzo's dream of becoming the president.

The Kamba leaders led by Wiper Secretary General Johnstone Muthama said they had supported Opposition Chief Raila Odinga for 10 years and that it was now time for political reciprocation.

During the well-attended public speech Mr Musyoka said that he supports Uhuru Kenyatta's initiatives to end corruption but warned against some people within Uhuru circles who are hell bend to scuttle his efforts.

"President Uhuru Kenyatta means well in his efforts to end wipe out corruption in Kenya but there are some powerful forces that stands on the way and that may pose a big threat to the mission, I hope the President will remain steadfast and focused in his vision to eradicate corruption in the country.” He said.

Also in the Wiper's delegation from Kenya was Kennedy Musyoka Kalonzo who is a member of East Africa Legislative Assembly.