Mutuku Mwangangi @PeopleDailyKe
Wiper leaders want Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama thrown out of the Nasa technical committee, terming his allegiance to the party “wanting”.
The committee is mandated to name the Opposition flag bearer before the end of March, in readiness for the August election.
The cracks in Wiper deepened on Sunday during the launch of a membership registration exercise at Kathiani, Machakos county, with leaders saying Muthama’s allegiance to the Kalonzo Musyoka-led party was not up to scratch.
The leaders described Muthama as a liability, saying he was the reason behind many defections. They said he scared aspirants from contesting on Wiper ticket by imposing his own line-up across the Ukambani region.
“And this message goes to Senator Muthama; that we are tired of your habit of imposing leaders on the people. You are even opposing every sitting leader because of selfishness,” said national organising secretary Robert Mbui.
National deputy secretary general Peter Mathuki described Muthama as a lone-ranger and rooted for Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana as the best bet to unite the region’s party leaders and help Kalonzo clinch the Nasa flag-bearer ticket.
Kibwana warned Muthama it would not be well with him if he continued to prefer Raila to Kalonzo in the ongoing Nasa talks.
“This is my appeal to Muthama, whom I respect very much: If you are sent to negotiate on behalf of Wiper, Muungango, people of lower Eastern and Kenya at large to advance our interests and it emerges the contrary, we are just worried and when you come home you will answer many questions,” he said.
The move dramatically adds to Muthama’s woes, coming as it does just days after he made controversial utterances touching the last words of the late Kwale Senator Boy Juma Boy.
Muthama sparked controversy during the burial of late Boy, saying he spoke to the fallen Senator at his hospital bed and his dying wish was Raila becomes the next president of Kenya. “Boy told me to ensure that Baba (Raila) wins in the August election.
I asked him why ... but he said that Baba is a very clever person and no other politician can match him (Ni mtu mjanja sana. Hakuna mtu anamweza),” said Muthama, adding that Boy repeated the statement more than eight times in the presence of his family.
Kalonzo recently rooted for Kibwana, who ditched his Muungano Party for Wiper in a calculated move aimed at bringing big brains to Nasa technical committee and ensure he flies the Opposition flag in the elections.
“The level at which negotiations in Nasa have reached, I am forced to bring in Governor Kibwana to help since he is a man of wisdom and respect in the civil society, law and politics,” said Kalonzo recently.
Mbui, an East African Legislative Assembly MP, Mathuki, Kibwana, Machakos Women’s Representative Susan Musyoka and Mavoko MP Patrick Makau now want Muthama to cede his position in Nasa technical committee to Kibwana.
The leaders said Kalonzo was the best compromise to take on ruling Jubilee, adding that Muthama, who prefers ODM leader Raila Odinga, was a stumbling block to Kalonzo’s march to State House.
Sources in Wiper hinted that Muthama was opposed to the idea of Kibwana joining the party and was at the forefront to block his direct nomination to defend his Makueni top seat.
But Kibwana dismissed claims he was afraid of nominations, saying he was ready to square it out with any other candidate. It emerged that Wiper big wigs were not ready for any other position for Kalonzo in Nasa other than the top seat.
“We respect you Raila Odinga, you are very popular but you have tried many times. It is high time you endorsed Kalonzo (ni wakati wako sasa wa kusema Kalonzo tosha),” said Makau.
The leaders urged owners of small parties in Ukambani to forge a coalition with Wiper to form a formidable force for the opposition and increase stakes in Nasa.
Kalonzo is on record as chiding Muthama, a gemstone dealer, to toe the party line, or else what was in store for him was worse than the ripping of his trousers during a demonstration two years ago in the streets of Nairobi.
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