Nancy Odindo is a Current Affairs Editor at TUKO.co.ke, covering political and world news. Odindo has over six years of journalism experience and joined TUKO.co.ke in 2023.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has publicly called on Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka to abandon the opposition coalition and align himself with President William Ruto's camp, describing the current trajectory as politically dangerous for the former vice president.
Murkomen made the remarks on Saturday, October 31, at an event in Ngiito, Ilmotiok Ward, Narok county, held to empower women's groups in the area. Speaking before a crowd of supporters, he framed his appeal as friendly advice rather than political pressure.
Kalonzo Musyoka challenges his supporters after heckling incident, calls for 112,000 polling agents
The CS said the recent Linda Mwananchi rally in Nairobi was merely a preview of what lay ahead, suggesting that the momentum behind that movement was far greater than Kalonzo had appreciated.
Murkomen drew on his personal history with the former ODM secretary-general Edwin Sifuna, stating that he knew him from his university days when the Nairobi senator served in his youth wing. On that basis, he predicted that Sifuna would eventually distance himself from Kalonzo.
Wiper blasts Sifuna after Kalonzo was heckled in Linda Mwananchi event: "There must Be respect"
He further warned that the path being charted alongside Sifuna, Trans Nzoia governor George Natembeya, and former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua was one rooted in bitterness, hatred, and violence, and cautioned that such allies would blackmail and embarrass Kalonzo over time.
Murkomen's appeal followed an awkward moment for Kalonzo at the launch of Sifuna's Linda Mwananchi movement in Nairobi on Friday, October 30, where sections of the crowd booed the Wiper leader after he cautioned against rushing to declare Sifuna a presidential candidate, saying opposition talks were still ongoing.
Several leaders within the broad-based arrangement led by Ruto have been making similar overtures to Kalonzo in recent weeks, urging him to cross over and support Ruto's re-election ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Kalonzo had rejected the advances, maintaining his presidential ambitions and hitting back at the government over allegations of corruption, extrajudicial killings, and abductions, vowing to restore what he described as the country's lost dignity.
Mixed reactions as Kalonzo ends speech after being heckled at Sifuna's event
The remarks come at a time of significant political realignment, with opposition parties engaged in active negotiations to rally behind a single presidential candidate to challenge Ruto in 2027.
Previously, TUKO.co.ke highlighted Kalonzo's response to Ruto after the president called him a formidable rival and his appeal for a united opposition ahead of the 2027 election.
Kalonzo cast his decades in politics as a period of patience and preparation, comparing the experience to the Israelites’ 40 years in the wilderness.
He also challenged supporters to turn Ruto’s praise into a reason to back his presidential ambitions.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
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