HOW RAILA CONNED KALONZO MUSYOKA

At the mere age of 32 years, Kalonzo Musyoka became a member of parliament for Kitui North in 1985. Less than a year as a legislator, he would be appointed by President Moi as an Assistant Minister for Works, Housing and Physical Planning. He had a meteoric rise in Kenyan politics becoming Deputy Speaker of National Assembly and Kanu National Organizing Secretary aged 35 years old.

As Kalonzo was succeeding in Kentyan politics and making a national name for himself, elsewhere father and son were in prison. Raila had been found guilty together with his father for colluding with 1982 coup plotters. He was found guilty and detained for seven years. He saw the gates of prison the same year Kalonzo was been made a powerful man in KANU – 1988.

Historians have wondered if Kalonzo knew the man in prison would one day dupe him. It is not clear if Raila started outright to dupe Kalonzo or he used Kalonzo’s desperation to his advantage. One of the reasons President Moi liked Kalonzo was his unparalleled greed for personal gain. Kalonzo in his entire political career has rarely bargained for Kamba Community or for the larger Kenyan Community. As a political gambler, in the bargaining table he has often laid cards that would advance his personal self. Moi liked that in the budding shrilly Kamba leader.

Even after being given a position as the Assistant Minister in Works, Housing and Physical Planning in 1986, his hometown has been used as an example for underdevelopment in Ukambani up to date. Moi realized to control the Kamba community he only needed to satisfy Kalonzo’s needs. When Kalonzo stood in front of cameras and claimed that he had already read the BBI document and that it should be passed as so, it reinforced the notion that Kalonzo only cares for himself.

Kalonzo heading towards 2007 general elections would run away with ODM Kenya certificate. Maybe it was a political miscalculation. Despite being in government for years he was still a naïve politician. He had spent most of his years under the wings of President Moi. He was used to being told what to do. When the time came for him to cut his own cloth, he failed miserably. A few months later Musalia Mudavadi would give him the tag watermelon.

With Kibaki retiring, Kalonzo thought he would be endorsed by the head of state. At that time Uhuru and Ruto were fighting charges at The International Criminal Court. Kalonzo didn’t want to make the same mistake he did in 2007. He decided to play politics as he knows best: by looking for love through unbridled sycophancy. He started a laughable shuttle diplomacy in an apparent support of Uhuru and Ruto.

It became apparent in 2013 that Uhuruto did not fancy Kalonzo’s support. They preferred Charity Ngilu to their camp instead. Kalonzo was left with no option than form alliance with the man he had betrayed in 2007. Even then, he only became Raila’s running mate because in a rare show of resolve, Musalia Mudavadi had decided to go for the top seat. Knowing Kalonzo was desperate; Raila toyed with him and continues to do so up to date.

At one time, Raila made Kalonzo pose with a paybill number begging for donations. Kalonzo stood there like a meek lamb as Kenyans mocked him. A few years later, Raila would force him to shelve his presidential ambitions and support him for a second successive time. When Raila went into a handshake with President Kenyatta, Kalonzo thought he was being left out of a party. In a frantic effort to catch up, he shouted mimi ni mtu wa mkono.