WIPER

DEMOCRATIC MOVEMENT-KENYA
Nairobi, August 25, 2020
PRESS STATEMENT


My attention has been drawn to malicious utterances by former Machakos
Senator Johnston Muthama, describing the Wiper Democratic Movement-Kenya
as "a tribal party" which have been circulating in a section of the media.


While my first reaction was to laugh off the malicious utterances as the joke of
the year, I have come to the conclusion that Muthama could actually have
tweeted in absolute ignorance of the true status of the Wiper Democratic
Movement-Kenya -- the political party he abandoned in the run-up to the 2017
General Election.


The facts are as follows:


The WDM-K that Muthama left in 2017 has grown to be the third largest political
party in Kenya after Jubilee and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Moreover, its popularity is growing in leaps and bounds, if the huge numbers of
Kenyans seeking to register as members are anything to go by.


Secondly, the WDM-K is proud to be represented in various parts of the country
through elected Governors, National Assembly, Senate and Members of the
County Assembly. In 2017, the party managed to secure parliamentary seats in
such areas as Borabu (Nyamira), Wajir West, Bura (Tana River), Kisauni
(Mombasa), Wundanyi (Taita Taveta), and Nairobi (Embakasi South), not to
mention bagging the Taita Taveta gubernatorial post and well over 129 MCAs
from all over the country including Busia, Homabay, Garissa, Wajir, Kajiado,
Turkana, Tana River etc. This is without mentioning an almost clean sweep of all
the legislative and civic seats in Ukambani.

Thirdly, the WDM-K has the following as the top officials: Party Leader H.E.
Kalonzo Musyoka is deputized by Farah Maalim and Shakila Abdala (from North
Eastern and Coast, respectively). The Chairman Chirau Ali Mwakwere is from
Coast, while Secretary-General Judith Sijeny is from Nyanza. Among the four
Vice-Chairs are Mutula Kilonzo Junior, Victor Swanya Ogeto (Kisii), Martin Ole
Kamwaro (Rift Valley-Narok), and Anne Kanyi (Central). The same pattern
applies to the membership of National Executive Council (NEC) the main
governing organ of the party. Therefore, WDM-K 's national composition,
representation, and outlook, are beyond reproach.


Fourthly, the WDM-K is led by an internationally acclaimed diplomat by the
name Hon. Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka -- whose endeavors have helped pacify
hitherto volatile nations such as South Sudan, Somalia, and the Demoçratic
Republic of Congo (DRC). Few political leaders in Kenya can match Kalonzo's
diplomatic gravitas.


What is most amusing is that Muthama is talking of other parties, while he
himself is party-less. One can, therefore, understand the frustration being
experienced by Muthama and his colleagues. Theirs is definitely a case of sour
grapes, in that what they expected (Kalonzo's political support for their man
Ruto), they know they cannot get!

Perhaps nothing shocked Muthama and his group more than the hostile
reception they got during the burial of Samuel Mutuku Mulu, the son of the late
Ukambani kingpin Mulu Mutisya in the presence of Kalonzo at Yathui, Mwala in
Machakos, where Muthama was booed, heckled and forced to cut short his
speech when he tried to vouch for Ruto's candidature. He has been smarting
from the humiliation ever since.


Muthama is full of bitterness and resentment, on realizing, rather too late, that he
has little political value to offer anyone who had hoped to use him to win popular
support particularly in Ukambani. The garrulous former Senator has a good
reason to panic: he now realizes that Ukambani is solidly behind Kalonzo,
implying that his (Muthama's goose has already been cooked and is now ready to
be served -- hot!


Kenyans will have noticed that, every election year since 2007 generates a gang
of political wannabes, from Ukambani in particular, who latch onto Kalonzo's
name in a desperate attempt to gain political relevance and mileage. For them,
besmirching the Wiper Leader while hoping the act will win them the support of
the voters or their political benefactors from outside Ukambani region, becomes
the end game.


Yet, at every attempt time, these desperate detractors are heartbroken by the
frequency of their failures to gain anything from badmouthing Kalonzo, who is
not only a highly respected national and international leader but also an astute
politician with a solid backing in his political backyard. The desperate
maneuvers that started in 2007 when Kalonzo first ran for President, appear to
have now found a new suitor in Muthama, two years early into the 2022 General
Election.


Muthama and his ilk had better be advised to look at the trail of wounded
politicians who have tried to wrestle with Kalonzo in his political backyard.
Some of them (I will not mention here to preserve the little dignity they still
have) appear to have completely lost interest in politics, while others are looking
for ways to mend fences with Kalonzo.


Despite having these facts in mind, Muthama has obstinately decided that he
must learn the hard way -- an extremely unwise decision to take. At the very
best, he will end up cooling his heels at the Opposition benches after the 2022
General Election, which would be stretching his optimism too far, anyway,
because he is now headed for political oblivion.

In conclusion, I reiterate that H.E Kalonzo's backyard is tightly locked for him in
2022. Any other political competitor who still believes he has the ability to
penetrate it had better brace for a very unpleasant surprise.


Forget about the unreliable promises by political brokers: Mambo kwa ground ni
different! Tukutane kwa debe 2022!



ONESMUS KILONZO -- HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONWDM-K