Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka is caught up in a bitter political war pitting Kitui governor Julius Malombe and Mwingi Central MP Gideon Mulyungi.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka
The duo have fallen out recently with observers saying the boiling temperatures are occasioned by the MP’s 2027 ambitions for the seat of governor.
Julius Malombe
The two Kalonzo allies have split the county politics and revived the old bitter rivalry between Kitui and Mwingi. The MP has accused the governor of sidelining Mwingi in development as a way of punishing him politically for his continued attack on his administration.
Governor Malombe bounced back and won the seat again in 2022 after losing it to Charity Ngilu in 2017.
Charity Ngilu
In 2022 Ngilu dropped out of the race in favour of Malombe after a negotiated political deal by Raila Odinga and Kalonzo that would have seen Ngilu land into the cabinet if Azimio would have won the last presidential election.
Kalonzo had put his foot on the ground that Ngilu had to step aside for Wiper to comfortably win the seat as a precondition for him to back Raila’s presidential bid.
David Musila
During a charged Azimio rally in Mutomo, Kitui South constituency, Raila paraded Malombe and Ngilu and announced that he had reserved the Water ministry docket for Ngilu. In return, she endorsed Malombe for the seat. Ngilu had defeated Malombe of Wiper and David Musila on an independent ticket in the 2017 polls. She had run for the seat at her Narc party.
Upon winning, she abandoned Kalonzo whom she was praising during campaigns to boost her election chances in a Wiper party dominated county.
She went ahead and revived their old rivalry that dates back to the advent of multiparty politics in 1992 when she ventured into politics and won the Kitui Central seat on a Democratic party ticket. Kalonzo was then a Kanu hawk and a cabinet minister on top of being the national party organising secretary.
Upon winning the Kitui seat, Ngilu started mocking Kalonzo and fiercely fought the Wiper party. She won the seat courtesy of her mobilisation skills and down-to-earth approach politics as compared to Malombe and Musila who were considered aloof by voters.
However, upon winning she fell out with voters with corruption scandals dogging her administration. From the touted ndengu revolution to Kikotec, all proved futile and her popularity declined drastically.
Voters started regretting why they voted out Malombe saying despite his arrogance towards voters, he was development conscious and less corrupt. With Ngilu’s failures, Malombe resurfaced and won the seat again.
Irene Kasalu
However, what led him to lose the seat to Ngilu in 2017 has returned to haunt him. His relationship with other elected leaders has proved his biggest undoing. Of late, he has fallen out with all elected leaders from the region except woman representative Irene Kasalu who has come to his defence.
Enock Wambua
Others who have declared interest for the seat are three term Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu and county senator Enoch Wambua. They will all battle for the Wiper ticket. Kalonzo has remained quiet over the happenings in his home county, pitting his allies who are now pulling towards different directions.
On his side, Mulyungi has vowed to finish Malombe politically by waging war on his supporters as witnessed last month when he was accused of assaulting a lady supporter of Malombe in Mwingi town.
Kitui assembly speaker Kevin Kinengo
The incident drew rage from women folk who threatened to curse the MP. However, those following Kitui political events say the differences by the governor and the MP emanate from a deal gone sour which has roped in Kitui assembly speaker Kevin Kinengo.
Mulyungi has accused Malombe of frustrating his construction firm which has interests in Kitui county through knocking them out during the tendering process.
On his part, the MP says Malombe is running a corrupt administration where his chief officers have turned out overnight millionaires.
Ngumbau Mulwa
The chief officers now under the command of Ngumbau Mulwa have allegedly taken the governor hostage and are operating with ghost companies to win tenders. The cartel under Ngumbau allegedly influences who gets paid and later draws huge kickbacks.
