Former Kitui senator David Musila has likened Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka to Brutus in Shakespeare's play Julius Caesar for betraying him.
Musila, in the book Seasons of Hope launched on Thursday, challenges Kalonzo to deny the betrayal accusation.
The memoir paints the former vice-president as the proverbial donkey that rewarded its longtime and loyal friend with a kick.
Musila details how Kalonzo disregarded their friendship and rigged him out in favour of former Kitui governor Julius Malombe.
The one-time powerful provincial administrator and former Wiper chairman, accuses the former vice-president of working day and night to ensure he did not fly the Wiper flag in the 2017 elections. He says Kalonzo staffed the Wiper Election Board with his cronies with instructions that he did not get the party ticket.
“It is emotionally impossible to capture the pain and shock suffered by Julius Caesar moments before his demise, when he looked into the eyes of his best and most trusted friend, Marcus Brutus," reads the memoir.
"Caesar could not comprehend how his friend and protege, Brutus, would be among the assassins. Neither could I understand what had happened to Kalonzo for him to betray me,” Musila narrated.
The former deputy House speaker challenged Kalonzo to deny the betrayal tag maintaining that his memoir is based purely on what he saw and heard and not from hearsay and gossip.
“I welcome criticism based on facts. Some of the people I have written about are still living. Let them come forward and deny that what am saying is not true.”
Kalonzo skipped the launch at the National Museums of Kenya.
Former vice-president Moody Awori, who was the chief guest, also hit at Kalonzo for turning his back on one of his ardent loyalists.
“He (Kalonzo) turned his back on Musila at the hour of need. I have nothing to fear (in saying that) because it is even written in the book,” Awori said.
The event was attended by among others former Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro, Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o, Senate Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen, Garissa Senator Yusuf Haji and former Mombasa Senator and Wiper secretary general Omar Hassan.
