Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka almost lost his life during the 2023 demonstrations against the rising cost of living, ODM’s Director of Communications, Philip Etale, has revealed.
In a chilling recollection of the 2023 anti-government demonstrations, Etale has narrated how an incident during the demonstrations could have wiped out several people in the then-opposition, including Kalonzo.
In a first-hand account by the Raila ally, what was a protest by leaders and Kenyans voicing their frustrations on the rising cost of living could have ended in tragedy if former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua's orders had been fully implemented.
At the time, protests headed through Riverside, Pangani, and Juja Road, with thousands of Kenyans joining to voice their grievances. According to Etale, the energy was observable, the chants deafening, with Kenyans visibly hungry for change.
However, just beyond Moi Airbase, the peaceful demonstration took a dangerous turn.
''The reception by angry and hungry Kenyans was enormous. Just slightly after the Moi Airbase, the convoy of over 500 vehicles escorted by thousands of Kenyans chanting anti-government slogans was confronted by lorry loads of overzealous anti-riot police officers. Shortly thereafter, water cannons emerged from alleys in Mathare and Huruma Estate," Etale narrated.
According to Etale, what followed was a calculated attempt to suppress the opposition in a manner that could have turned lethal. Security forces reportedly launched tear gas directly into Kalonzo's car, shattering windows and flooding the vehicle with toxic smoke.
Within moments, the Wiper Party Leader lost consciousness. Panic ensued as security personnel and youth protesters scrambled to rescue him, eventually pulling him to safety.
"You, for some minutes, passed out because of the gas that had filled your car. You came out of the vehicle in a bad state. I have not forgotten how KDD, in which I was riding, was attacked by cops. They thought we would suffocate and succumb," Etale recalled.
Etale leveraged the harrowing events to challenge Kalonzo's current political stance alongside former DP Gachagua.
He alleged that they had come dangerously close to losing their lives due to orders issued by the former DP, directing security forces to take decisive action against anti-government demonstrators.
Ever since he was impeached as DP, opposition leaders, including Kalonzo, have welcomed Gachagua to the opposition, signalling hints of working together in the 2027 general election.
