- Wiper chairman Victor Swanya says the party is funded by members and not an individual.
- Kathiani MP Robert Mbui says Muthama is of no political consequence to Kalonzo.
Image: EZEKIEL AMiNG'A
Wiper officials have rejected claims by former Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama that the party is broke after he withdrew his financing.
Party vice chairman Victor Swanya and National Assembly Deputy Minority leader Robert Mbui said that at no time has Muthama alone funded Wiper.
“It is misguided to say he (Muthama) is the sole financier of the party. Wiper operations are not directed by an individual,” Swanya said in a statement on Wednesday.
He said that if Muthama has been contributing to the party, then he has just been doing what many other members across the country are doing.
"The former senator is out of order. Wiper is a public entity run from resources contributed by members at large. It is not a personal property to be run through individual resources," Swanya said.
Muthama had claimed on Tuesday in a statement that the push by Wiper to kick him out of the party stems from his withdrawal of funding.
"It is vehemently clear that your bitterness comes from my withdrawing my support to the party and for that reason you are enduring dire financial hardship," Muthama said.
He accused Wiper officials of failing to pursue their share of the Political Parties Fund allocated to the moribund Nasa coalition, saying he had successfully done so from 2013 to 2017.
Muthama said Wiper's frustrations over losing a share of the Sh4 billion windfall for Nasa was the reason the party was pursuing him.
“It is unfortunate, uncalled for and unprofessional," he said in his response to Wiper's show-cause letter written to him last week.
"This being the case, the party should have reached out to me diligently and requested my assistance in claiming what is rightful for the party since it looks like no one else in the party can do this work," the former senator said.
In a letter by party chairman Chirau Ali Mwakwere, Wiper had given Muthama 14 days to explain why disciplinary action should not be taken against him for insubordination.
But Muthama accused Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka of transforming the party into a personal property serving his family's interests and secretly extorting for alliances at night meetings.
Muthama said it was immoral for Kalonzo to nominate his son to the East African Legislative Assembly as well as his sister in-law to the Nairobi County Assembly.
"If the above warrants are to be classified as propaganda so be it," Muthama said, insisting he quit Wiper in 2017 when he dropped out of the Machakos senatorial race.
He recently said he “vomited Wiper”.
Muthama, who has declared his support for Deputy President William Ruto, said he has already moved on to another party and would launch a battle against Wiper for all elective seats in Ukambani in 2022.
But Mbui said Muthama was a lightweight who cannot engage Kalonzo in any political fight including in Ukambani region.
"He is of zero political consequence to Kalonzo," the Kathiani MP said.
Swanya said Wiper will continue supporting President Uhuru Kenyatta to achieve his legacy and would not be intimidated and diverted from its cooperation agreement with Jubilee.
“Wiper is a national party. What we want is to continue the work we have started with Jubilee, complete it and then be part of the 2022 succession plans,” he said.
Kalonzo has indicated the cooperation agreement with Jubilee would be a prelude to the ultimate signing of a coalition agreement.
(Edited by V. Graham)