Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka recently declared that he is comfortable with whichever political formation in the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Alliance.
In other words, Kalonzo will be satisfied with what has obviously been agreed to behind the cameras as to who will be in Azimio presidential candidate’s administration, if the alliance wins in the August 9 poll.
Speaking at a church in Kitui, where Azimio presidential candidate Raila Odinga was also present, Kalonzo downplayed demands issued by his political lieutenants that he must be running mate.
He also offered his “strongest and unwavering” support of the Azimio presidential candidate.
"I want to say it here categorically that whatever formation you come up with, it is time for Raila to become the president of Kenya. I commend him for resilience and the ability to stand strong," Kalanzo said.
For his part, Raila said water is required in the Kitui region and affirmed his commitment to have his government ensure the commodity is brought closer to people to ensure locals live comfortably, and so that women don’y have to walk so many kilometers to fetch it.
You put these two utterances by the two leaders and you have a peak as to what is going on behind the scenes, which is contrary to the narrative in social media and other public forums.
The narrative is pejorative of Kalonzo in that it suggests he cannot be trusted, and wants to have the cake and eat it, too.
On the one hand, they say Kalonzo has aligned with Azimio but on the other hand, he is bent on wreaking havoc in the alliance, if he does not get what he wants.
The narrative is cast as having a man in Kalonzo who wants to remain with Azimio but doing so under the coalition’s rules prevents his desire to vanquish political enemies in Kambaland.
You can call that a dilemma, but it is not.
In the first instance where it is said Kalonzo is preparing to bolt from Azimio — if he does not get what he gets — that would be a dumb move for there is nowhere he will go to do better and Kalonzo is no dumb person. In fact, he is a very smart, strong national leader who knows better.
In the second instance, bolting from Azimio will do nothing to help him vanquish his political enemies, if that is what he desires to do. In any case, such a move will backfire because someone or a trio of them will easily replace him and leave him wandering in no man’s land.
Kalonzo knows that, we know that and even those peddling this narrative know it.
When a politician says something in public, never pay attention. It is their actions that will give you a sense of where they are headed in their strategy.
Every action Kalonzo has taken in the recent past, notwithstanding public statements, to the contrary tells you the man is in Azimio to stay and is going nowhere but up from there.
What will he do in the Azimio administration, if the coalition wins the presidential election? He was previously the vice president and being a deputy president will neither be a promotion nor a demotion.
Being a Cabinet secretary will be a demotion for a man of his caliber and experience.
But those are not the only options Kalonzo must shine in the Azimio government.
There is something better and sweeter and it must be something that reassures Kalonzo and one that keeps Raila focused on other things than wondering where the Wiper boss will be after the polls.
He will be standing right next to Raila.
Samuel Omwenga is a legal analyst and political commentator
