- He told off some political leaders from Machakos county who had reportedly said that non-Machakos politicians were not allowed to visit the county.
- He addressed the press shortly after he chaired a five-hour closed-door Wiper legislators.
Image: GEORGE OWITI
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has exuded confidence that his party will win in the forthcoming Machakos senatorial by-election scheduled for March 18.
Kalonzo said their opponents should prepare for a bruising political battle since they will not take any chance in ensuring that Wiper candidate Agnes Kavindu becomes the next Machakos senator.
He told off some political leaders from Machakos county who had reportedly said that non-Machakos politicians were not allowed to visit the county to drum up support for their candidates.
“I want to tell off those leaders who said the electorate shouldn’t entertain people from outside Machakos county that there is the freedom of movement. People will come from all over the country to campaign for our candidate Agnes Kavindu,” Kalonzo said.
He addressed the press shortly after he chaired a five-hour closed-door Wiper legislators meeting at Stoni Athi Resort in Mavoko, Machakos county, on Friday.
The leaders included Wiper MPs and MCAs from the larger Ukambani region alongside Transport CAS Wavinya Ndeti and the party’s senatorial candidate in the by-election Agnes Kavindu.
“It’s unfortunate for them because this is the only senatorial by-election so people will have interests. Leaders will come, especially those from the entire Ukambani region,” Kalonzo said.
He added, “We have a very strong candidate for the senatorial by-election. Nominations will be conducted by IEBC this coming Monday and Tuesday. We continue wishing her well and I feel we have a winner here. If she was in Jubilee she could gunner 95,000 votes, you can imagine with Wiper ticket she is up there.”
Kalonzo said they were, however, not taking any chance as a party. He said they never settled on the ex-Machakos Senator Johnson Muthama’s former wife because the party had no alternative but because she is a leader.
“This party upholds very high family values and the issues here have nothing to do with Agnes’s family. It is that this is a leader whom we are commending to the people of Machakos county. So, we are very happy.”
Kalonzo said they will comply with the IEBC code of conduct including the government’s Covid-19 directives throughout their campaigns and by-election.
The Wiper leader criticised leaders who, he said, were fond of making reckless statements thereby polarising the country through incitement on tribal lines and the hustlers verses dynasties narrative.
“Leaders should be responsible, none of them is above the law. There would be no country without the rule of law,” Kalonzo said.
Wiper secretary general Robert Mbui said they were determined to deliver the seat to the party.
The Kathiani MP said Wiper had signed a cooperation agreement with the Jubilee Party on the Machakos senatorial by-election.
“So, Jubilee Party isn’t fielding a candidate and that candidate who was in Jubilee in 2017 has now officially joined Wiper under the arrangement of cooperation. Agnes Kavindu who was in Jubilee is now in Wiper and vying for this seat. It’s also an arrangement of coalition between these two parties,” Mbui said.
Edited by Henry Makori