Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has fought many battles and shifted allegiance in his fairly long political journey. As many public figures of his stature have done before him, the goings-on shielded from the public eventually get penned down in a book or two.
One such tale is narrated in Kalonzo's Against All Odds, of a time President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President, William Ruto, betrayed him.
The Wiper Party leader narrated that he was approached by the two leaders before the 2013 general elections. The duo had requested him to join them ahead of the poll.
At the time, fears that the country could face diplomatic isolation due to the Uhuru-Ruto ICC indictment had made former President Mwai Kibaki's allies to front ANC leader, Musalia Mudavadi, as their candidate.
Uhuru and Ruto had just been indicted by the International Criminal Court(ICC) for crimes against humanity, arising from the 2007 election violence.
The agreement made was that Uhuru and Kalonzo would be on the presidential ticket while Ruto would be the Majority Leader in the National Assembly.
However, this plan would change in a single night meeting, where Nairobi businessman Jimmy Wanjigi, was in attendance.
“I clearly remember the night I felt betrayed by Uhuru and Ruto. This was the night our alliance died. We had agreed with Ruto that I would be on the presidential ticket, with Uhuru as my running mate or vice versa. Ruto was to be the Majority Leader,” Kalonzo divulged.
Kalonzo narrated that during the meeting that was held at his home, the president was tasked with relaying the regrettable message.
“Stephen, we have decided that you should choose some other position, but not the presidency or deputy presidency,’’ he remarked.
The head of state further informed Kalonzo that if he did not take up what he was being offered, someone else would.
“If you do not take what you are being offered, Ngilu will take your place in our alliance," Uhuru is quoted in the book.
