Why it is hard to believe Kalonzo Musyoka’s claims that Jubilee is trying to poach him

Sometime back, one of the mainstream newspapers published a story that plans were underway to entice the former Vice President and CORD co-principal Kalonzo Musyoka to decamp from the opposition and join the ruling Jubilee coalition.

While quoting some sources, the paper wrote that the top leadership of the Jubilee administration had convened a meeting and invited his key allies to discuss the matter. Thereafter, the allies, now serving as emissaries, would be sent to deliver the message to him. If he accepted the offer, it was alleged that he would have replaced the suspended Land CS, Charity Ngilu.  

Though the story had been given a wide coverage, Kalonzo would not come out to confirm or deny it.  The same case would apply to his allies who have since remained tight-lipped.

But in an interesting turn of events, the former VP would break his silence more than one month later. He would allege that “It is true Jubilee had tried to compromise my morality but I want to tell them “Kalonzo Musyoka is not for sale”.

 “The Jubilee government’s machinations of trying to divide CORD will never succeed. As CORD family, we shall remain united and we are optimistic of sending Jubilee home in 2017 polls,” he said

If Kalonzo wants Kenyans to believe him, he should answer the following questions. Why did he have to take more than one month to speak out? Can he reveal the details of when the meetings to entice him were held? The venue, date [s] and the players involved.

Yes, in politics it is normal to see politicians sweet talking and wooing rivals to join their respective camps. So this is not a big deal and hence I doubt the public will change the perceptions toward him. In other words, you cannot use that as a strategy to seek political mileage.  If people don’t like and trust you, that will not change. 

For Kalonzo,   I hope many would agree with me that it is even hard to believe in him. Why? Previously, he is on record as having made serious allegations which he could not substantiate.

When the IEBC nullified the nomination of Ms Kethi Kilonzo, the daughter of the late Mutula, he sensationally claimed the plot had been hatched by the President Uhuru and his Deputy.  Later when Fidel Castro Makario, the son of the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, passed on he, appeared to advance a theory of a foul play in the death of the young man whom he said was a key pillar in Odinga family. Fidel was found dead in his matrimonial home. Earlier in the night, he had joined his friends and visited five pubs. In each of the pub, reports indicated they indulged in a lot of alcoholic drinks.   

While making reference to the deaths of Mutula Kilonzo and Otieno Kajwang, Kalonzo had wondered why it is only leaders of the CORD family who were losing their lives under unclear circumstances. When Gatundu South MP Ngugi Nyumu and Kabete MP George Muchai, who were known to be staunch supporters of TNA wing of President Kenyatta, passed on, one would have expected him to make similar remarks but he turned a deaf ear.

What does this tell you? Kalonzo does not have the required credentials to make a good leader. He is selfish and would use all means to criminalize and silence those who did not agree with him.  

It is worth to note that he has all along continued to nurse burning political ambitions to clinch the coveted seat of presidency but he is yet to realize his dream. In the process, he is known to have made many political enemies some who would end up branding him a spoiler and watermelon.  He would later mend fences and reconcile with some of them. His current cordial and warm relationship with former PM Raila Odinga can attest to this.

In the run up to 2007 general election, he was involved in a nasty and acrimonious fall out with Raila. Analysts argued that this was after he realized that he stood no chance of clinching the ODM ticket during the much awaited nomination that was scheduled to take place a few weeks later.

As he walked out, Kalonzo’s faction would successfully retain original certificate of ODM and fight to be recognized as the flag bearers of the party.  This would leave Raila and his brigade without a party and struggling to form and register a new political vehicle.  

A replica of almost same scenario would be witnessed in the countdown to 2013 polls when Kalonzo turned table on the Jubilee duo of Hon Uhuru Kenyatta and his running mate, Hon William Ruto. This is after he failed to have his way during the negotiations where he was pushing the alliance to either pick him as the presidential candidate or as a running mate. 

Notably when President Daniel Arap Moi retired in 2002 and handed power to the incoming president Mwai Kibaki, Kalonzo was considered as being one of Moi’s orphans. This is because Moi had enrolled him to join the world of politics and mentored him to become a shrewd and cunning politician. Besides serving as a cabinet minister, he is remembered as the longest serving KANU organizing secretary. Therefore, it is not in doubt that the former Mwingi MP will go down into annals of history as one of the Nyayo’s staunch loyalists.