Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka on Friday hit back at Minority Leader Junet Mohamed for dismissing his latest public pronouncement where he declared himself as the country's new opposition leader.
Kalonzo while addressing members of the press in Mombasa, accused Junet of taking upon himself to police public opinion and unilaterally imposing his authority on the Kenyan people despite holding other senior positions in government.
The former Vice President further termed Junet’s sentiments as a joke and urged Kenyans not to take the latter’s sentiments seriously.
Kalonzo clarified that despite the altercation over who would take up the role of the opposition leader, he was still on good terms with the Suna East MP.
“What our friends are talking about here, as we await the discussions about the NADCO report, I was the co-chair who brought the report to parliament,” the Wiper party leader stated.
“Of course, he is the leader in Parliament, we don't have a problem with that. I often speak with Junet and advise him, so don't take him seriously,” Kalonzo added.
Kalonzo also expressed intentions to continue working with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party despite some of its members joining President William Ruto's administration.
"Azimio has 23 parties and we recognise all these parties and as Azimio la Umoja, we intend to expand that space but the Kenya Kwanza coalition wants to take some of our members," Kalonzo stated.
"ODM must now know that the four people who joined the government, we expect that ODM will remain with us in the opposition."
Kalonzo's sentiments come a day after Junet Mohamed accused the Azimio Principal of taking up the role of the official opposition leader yet there was no constitutional provision for such a position.
Speaking during Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi's Thanksgiving ceremony, the vocal MP claimed the government was yet to establish the office of the official opposition as mandated by the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report.
“I heard our fellow brothers claiming that we as members of the ODM party are in government and that they are the new opposition leaders,” Junet claimed.
“There is no place in the constitution where the role of the opposition leader has been highlighted. We as the minority members in parliament, will work with the Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah to establish the position of the official opposition leader.”
