Kalonzo blames Muthama for ‘2013 loss’ over coded comments made in Machakos rally

By Mutuku Mwangangi

Wiper Party boss Kalonzo Musyoka has blamed former Machakos County Senator Johnson Muthama of breaking the G7 alliance, which he believes could have propelled him to the presidency in the 2013 General Election.

G7 alliance brought together The National Alliance (TNA) leader Uhuru Kenyatta and United Republican Party (URP) boss William Ruto. TNA and URP later merged to form Jubilee Party with other affiliates.

The former VP bolted out of the group after the TNA and URP leaders refused to close ranks and support him as the presidential candidate

Now Kalonzo claims that comments made by Muthama at a rally in Machakos about the Uhuru-Ruto cases at the International Criminal Court led to the collapse of the group.

Muthama, who announced his resignation from Wiper recently, dismissed Kalonzo’s presidential campaign as a non-starter and threw his weight behind Deputy President William Ruto.

But Kalonzo recently accused Muthama of “auctioning” him twice to support the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga.

“His utterances during the final G7 alliance at Machakos led to its ultimate breakdown. His speech translated to Uhuru and Ruto was that ‘I will take over the country’s leadership, once the two are jailed at The Hague. Is this what you call negotiation? No way?” Kalonzo said.

The two leaders were cleared of crimes against humanity cases at The Hague.

Kalonzo was responding to Muthama’s recent comments that he (Muthama) had negotiated the vice presidency for him after the disputed 2007 General Election.

The then President Mwai Kibaki appointed Kalonzo as vice president in the shared Grand Coalition Government with Raila as Prime Minister.

“Muthama is exercising his democratic right by shifting loyalty to the Deputy President, but I want to assure you that Wiper will form the next government,” Kalonzo said.

“Someone remind Kalonzo that if it was not for Muthama, he would not have been a VP and therefore, he should learn to appreciate. He said I auctioned him to Raila, yes that it is true man, If I can give a political direction to a whole VP,” said Muthama.

While decamping from the G7 in 2012, Kalonzo said he walked away from further talks over what he termed as “mistreatment” by the Uhuru and Ruto.