Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka now says he will never attack former Prime Minister Raila Odinga despite the latter’s decision to join forces with President William Ruto.
Kalonzo, who spoke during the Umoja Summit Party's Annual Delegates Convention in Nairobi on Thursday afternoon, stated that attacking people, particularly those he once worked with, is not part of his personality.
The former Vice President, while addressing the congregants, maintained that he would respect the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party leader’s choice to work with the government.
However, Kalonzo expressed displeasure with how Odinga’s party disassociated itself from other Azimio coalition parties after joining the Kenya Kwanza administration.
According to the Wiper Party leader, the Azimio coalition effectively ended the day Odinga signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the president.
“When our friends in the ODM party openly signed the agreement with Kenya Kwanza outside KICC, in my view, that marked the end of the Azimio coalition. We must be realistic because the Wiper Party cannot remain alone in Azimio, so this is a statement of fact.
“However, we live in this country, we have developed personal relationships, and we must respect each other. Nobody will ever hear me attack Raila Odinga because that is not in my DNA. We must respect each other’s choices,” he added.
Kalonzo, who was Odinga’s running mate in the 2022 polls, has recently been a vocal critic of the former Prime Minister, accusing him of betraying Kenyans by joining the government.
The Azimio principal also expressed concerns that the new partnership between Raila and Ruto could sabotage the process of reconstituting the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).
In a letter dated March 28, Kalonzo wrote to Raila demanding the inclusion of the opposition in the reconstitution of the electoral commission.
"I firmly believe that the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) and ODM, now aligned on one side, should engage in discussions with those of us in the opposition to ensure a balanced and inclusive process," read part of the letter.
"This position is informed by the principles of checks and balances, good governance, and sound public policy," the statement added.
