• MP privy to dealings tells the Star in confidence indeed there is talk between the two leaders
• Kalonzo has maintained there is no looming alliance or talks with the DP
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka is faced with a huge moment of truth.
He has to make one of the biggest decisions of his political career.
The former Vice President is at a crossroads whether to keep his close ties with President Uhuru Kenyatta even as pressure mounts on him to cobble together a 2022 alliance with Deputy President William Ruto.
The goings-on are likely to put his ties with Kenyatta to the test as the latter has anxieties of his own as he looks to consolidate his legacy with time running out.
Talk is rife Kalonzo is in talks with Ruto for a 2022 pact, a position he has publicly denied citing his supposed ties with Kenyatta and the possibility of landing a plum slot in the much talked about Super Six Alliance.
Curiously, Ruto in a tweet yesterday announced he was welcoming Kalonzo to "progressive" Jubilee.
Ruto, in the message, described Jubilee as a progressive, focused, all-encompassing political movement.
An MP who did not want his name made public said Kalonzo and Ruto are conducting behind the scenes talks that might culminate in a coalition.
The MP, whose profile is fast-rising, said he was part of the team appointed by one of the two groups to steer the talks.
He told the Star controversial former Machakos Senator Johnston Muthama should not be dismissed because his sentiments represent Kalonzo's position.
“Kalonzo is in the sideshows game. What Muthama is talking about is what Kalonzo wants. He just doesn’t want to be seen to be colliding with Uhuru,” the MP said.
“He has some small appointments he wants to protect and some hope in the handshake team.
“Our meetings with Ruto people will continue and the strategy will continue being improved until we get there,” he added.
Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, MPs Victor Munyaka (Machakos), Vincent Musyoka (Mwala), Nixon Korir (Lang’ata), Nimrod Mbai (Kitui East) and former Machakos governor candidate Wavinya Ndeti are part of the inner circle in the secret talks.
The Wiper brigade, the Star has been made to understand, made the Ruto move as a plan B after realising that the Kenyatta-Raila handshake might put a premature end to Kalonzo's long career.
But Kalonzo has made the public believe he has nothing to do with Muthama, according to the MP.
Kalonzo this week suggested that the likes of Muthama who are linking him with Ruto are keen to have him ostracised by Kenyatta and limit his stakes in post-BBI political plans.
"There are people who want me to abandon the handshake so that I fall. I want to tell them that where Uhuru will be in the next election cycle, I will be there," he told delegates at his Yatta home recently.
The position, insiders say, is part of the strategy those bidding for the alliance have employed to avert a Kalonzo-Kenyatta fall out.
On Christmas Day, Muthama taunted Kalonzo and wondered why the former VP had not made his talks with Ruto public.
Muthama even declared himself the Kamba kingpin, citing the Wiper leader's failure to provide his Kamba constituency direction.
“Kalonzo’s remarks that we shouldn’t strategize on how we are going to get at the top leadership of this country as the Kamba nation are absurd,” Muthama said.
The debate sparked off a storm in Ukambani with Governor Alfred Mutua – now backed by ODM leader Raila Odinga - saying he is best placed to help Kambas get to State House.
“Our people are tired of being on the sidelines. I am ready to lead the Kamba community to State House.”
His take is that whereas Kalonzo wants to add the community on to Uhuru’s 2022 strategy, Muthama “wants to con them towards a Ruto 2022 strategy”.
But Mwala MP Vincent Musau dismissed the Machakos governor saying that the county bosses – including Charity Ngilu (Kitui) and Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni) - are political lightweights who have no plan for Kambas.
“He is a victim of the lies by the handshake team who have been promising everything to everybody. Mutua is blind in terms of politics.”
The lawmaker says the community will still back Kalonzo and "will follow his word even when it doesn’t make a lot of sense."
He dismissed the Kamba three saying Mutua combined with Ngilu and Kibwana running against a Kalonzo 2022 bid will be humiliated.
To show that he needs to energise the community, Kalonzo has planned a series of public meetings in Ukambani to “make the three governors irrelevant”.
Kibwezi East MP Jessica Mbalu said the Wiper leader still commands a huge following and is not "threatened by the perceived rebellion".
She believes Kalonzo will stick with Uhuru because the President's backing will make it easy to sell her party leader’s candidature to Mt Kenya voters.
“Since we want Kalonzo to take nothing less than the presidency, we can’t take the direction of fighting with Uhuru. We are not competing with him. We need his support as he still has a say in Mt Kenya vote,” Mbalu said.
She told the Star because of numbers, Wiper as part of its strategy is in talks with many leaders, including Amani leader Musalia Mudavadi.
“We need numbers. People should not mistake statements by others to mean Kalonzo is fighting the President yet he wants to reach his (Uhuru) people 100 per cent,” Mbalu added.
Wiper secretary general Judith Sijeny, for her part, dismissed those protesting against Kalonzo’s move to work with Kenyatta as noisemakers.
“When the party top organs sat down and agreed that we should work with Uhuru all of them were present. Even Muthama attended the meetings,” Sijeny said.
Dilemma or no dilemma, Kalonzo can count on the loyalty of his MPs.
Dan Maanzo (Makueni MP) said Muthama risks being in the cold longer if he continues fighting Kalonzo.
But those putting pressure on Kalonzo to join Ruto believe the two working together will have a strong grip on Nairobi politics.
"We can get more seats in Nairobi and Coast region if we pick the right candidates and do our homework well,” a Wiper official who requested anonymity said.
The official claims to have attended the meetings held at two hotels on Lang’ata Road and Mombasa highway.
Mumias East MP Ben Washiali, a close Ruto ally, said: “Both Ruto and Kalonzo are born again and development conscious, which makes them to easily work together.”
He hinted at an initiative to bring the two together saying the leaders “are humble and believe in delivering.”
Wavinya, on being asked about the purported deal, said: “Right now, we are supporting the President to deliver on the Big four agenda. However, NEC will make a number of announcements at the right time.”