Deputy President William Ruto's battalions have set the tongues wagging after publicly vouching for Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who is in their opponent's camp, as the best running mate to Azimio candidate Raila Odinga.
On Monday, May 2, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen demanded that Kalonzo should be made the running mate in Azimio without which he should decamp to their side in Kenya Kwanza.
Murkomen argued that Kalonzo had been disrespected in Azimio and would suffer the same fate DP Ruto did.
"My message to Kalonzo Musyoka and all the remaining people in Azimio, the disrespect President Uhuru Kenyatta showed the DP by chasing him away in 2018, he will also show you.
"Recently, at the burial of former President Mwai Kibaki, I was with the DP and Kalonzo arrived. When he entered the room (he was greeted in a weird way by Raila and Uhuru). I asked myself, is this person going to be anyone's running mate?" Murkomen Questioned.
Since then, the public found it peculiar that Kenya Kwanza politicians had uncannily thrown their weight behind Kalonzo, something political analysts observed that Kenyans were reading too much into the Ruto team's strategy to demoralize their counterparts in Azimio.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, political analyst Edward Kisiang'ani noted that as the transfer window's closure draws near, it was common for Kenya Kwanza to woo Kalonzo into their camp.
He further opined that in Azimio, Raila had no choice but to select Kalonzo as his running mate since the team had jointly registered the new coalition titled Azimio OKA alliance party with Raila's camp forming the first half while Kalonzo formed the last half.
"Kenya Kwanza would be happy to have Kalonzo on their side. They are not telling Kalonzo to come because they want him to be a deputy in Kenya Kwanza, they are telling him to come because they think thathe would be more comfortable and treated with more respect.
"In terms of Azimio, people expect that because Kalonzo is senior and he has been vice president, he was coming to be a running mate. The party is called Azimio OKA Alliance Party, that is what they have registered at the Registrar of Political Parties. Since Azimio has a Presidential candidate called Raila Odinga, then the dash which is OKA becomes the running mate," Kisiang'ani stated.
He further noted that if Kalonzo joined Kenya Kwanza, the running mate position would largely be off the table since Ruto has more leeway in picking his own running mate.
"In Kenya Kwanza, there is no outfit called Kenya Kwanza party registered. What is there is that Ruto is running on UDA ticket, He can still choose a running mate who is in UDA without any problem.
Another analyst, Mark Bichache corroborated Kisiang'ani's views noting that in either coalition, Kalonzo did not stand the DP slot since both Ruto and Raila had their eyes on Mt Kenya.
He added that Azimio should not be concerned with DP Ruto's allies' attempts to woo Kalonzo.
"Both Kenya Kwanza and Azimio have to pick a running mate from Central. That is the mathematics. Whether Kalonzo is in Azimio or in Kenya Kwanza, he is not going to be anybody's running mate. His behaviour of late just guarantees that.
"(Azimio should not be concerned because) the bride in this thing should be Mt Kenya. Everyone is going to choose a running mate from Mt Kenya. How people perceive it is up to them but the truth of the matter is, it is going to be from Central," he explained.
Kalonzo mistreatment
Kisiang'ani, however, believes that Kalonzo has been cornered to stay in Azimio owing to a deal reached between those party locking him in for 6 months, the period which ends after the General Election.
The analyst explained that since the agreement, Kalonzo has been mistreated beginning with the contents of deal (when Kalonzo admitted that he was not well versed with the contents of the deal) and recently, when he was denied to make an address during former President Mwai Kibaki's burial.
"From a neutral perspective, you can see some sort of mistreatment. When they signed the accord, Kalonzo comes out and says he does not know what they signed because they claimed that what was signed was not what was presented at the Registrar's office.
"The most recent one was the most shocking one. Kalozo was the VP to Kibaki and his relationship with Kibaki was not forced. Kibaki used him to stabilise the government against the attacks of Raila Odinga. Raila's Prime Ministership was given to him through a hard negotiation. What criteria did they use to prefer Raila speaks and not Kalonzo? That is a clear view that probably they don't like him," he explained.
He added that Kalonzo's option to decamp was technical and he could only enter a deal with DP Ruto, legally, after the conclusion of the election.
"Kalonzo is cornered because they have forced these people to stay in a marriage for 6 months which means moving around for Kalonzo is very difficult. Even if he goes to UDA, he would not legally change his status. If he was a focused leader, he would probably reconsider his relationship.
"The only thing he can do, he can refuse to campaign for Raila Odinga and sway his vote to another person. If he tries to get out, they can say he signed and the minimum he can stay is 6 months. Probably they would be out after the elections. He can only do a technically pullout by not supporting Raila," he added.
Bichache, on the other hand, however, firmly believes that Kalonzo is not being mistreated at Azimio and that some politicians claim mistreatement as part of their strategies.
This is What Killed Kariobangi North MCA Joel Munuve News Just In
