Is Kalonzo Musyoka a man on a mission?

Wiper leader, Kalonzo Musyoka, is a man on a mission and his attendance and speech at the Mashujaa Day celebrations in Machakos County evinces this.

While the former Vice President on Tuesday, October 18 said that he would attend the function with the intention of dedicating his African Dignitary Man of The Year Award to Kenyans, this subject was widely omitted from his address.

Kalonzo moved to show his supremacy in Ukambani region by delivering a hard-hitting speech, in his usual subtle style, during the Mashujaa Day celebrations, implicitly targeting President Uhuru Kenyatta, his deputy William Ruto and Machakos Governor, Dr Alfred Mutua.

The Wiper leader began his speech by obliquely rubbishing Jubilee merger, saying unlike their counterparts in government, CORD had decided to remain a coalition of integral parties.

“I have been accompanied by my co-principal in CORD, Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetangula. You know unlike in Jubilee where parties have been swallowed, we, in CORD, are still a coalition,” he said as he sought to lighten up the moment which had been made awkward by his presence amidst a largely Jubilee contingent.

Earlier, there had been speculations that Kalonzo would skip the event, despite his reassurance on Tuesday that he would attend.

These speculations were almost confirmed after President Uhuru Kenyatta arrived at the Stadium with Kalonzo nowhere in sight.

The CORD co-principal arrived a little later for the function, after the President had finished inspecting the guard of honour and taken his seat.

When he rose to speak, after he was welcomed by Deputy President William Ruto and just before the President’s address, Kalonzo was greeted by a loud applause by the attendants, in what can be described as a show of supremacy in the region.

His speech was bullish, at one point insinuating that he would do what has frustrated President Kenyatta throughout his presidency – deal with corruption decisively.

“Mr President, this issue of corruption, which has frustrated you to the point of you asking everyone to carry their cross, will be dealt with during my presidency with everyone implicated in graft being forced to leave office.”

His sentiments were in relation to Kenyatta’s address at the State House Accountability Summit on Monday, October 17 where he put state agencies on notice over failure to convict corrupt government officials.

The President, at the Summit, said he had played his part in the fight against graft by sacking those named in corrupt dealings and called on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and Director of Public Prosecutions to up their game in fighting graft.

CORD leader, Raila Odinga, and Amani National Congress leader, Musalia Mudavadi, however, faulted the President over the remarks saying it signifies his resignation to the war on corruption.

From his address, Musyoka seemed to be of a similar opinion.

The Wiper leader also called on President Uhuru to accept the results of the next elections saying, “I hope you (Uhuru) would have no problem if I was the one officially opening the dual carriageway next year (when am president).

President Uhuru had just launched construction work for the carriageway, on his way to Machakos from Nairobi early Thursday.

Kalonzo did not also hesitate to tell off Wiper defectors saying their defection to Jubilee denies them the right to give him ultimatums.

“I realize there are people who once belonged to me, including Machakos Governor Alfred Mutua, who have since moved to Jubilee; that is fine, and I want you to keep them. In fact DP Ruto here was key in pushing for their defection,” he told President Uhuru.

“My message to the defectors therefore is, now that they are in Jubilee, they can only give ultimatums to you (President Uhuru) and not me. I have my people.”

He assured the legislators who had left Wiper that they would fail in their attempts to seek re-election.

In a rejoinder, DP Ruto called on the people of Ukambani to vote for leaders based on their ideologies and manifestos and not the parties they belong in.

This has been seen as a change of tone for the usually subtle man who has for long received political crucifixion over his decision to breakaway from Raila Odinga and run for the presidency under ODM Kenya just a few months to the 2007 General Election, before later joining PNU’s Mwai Kibaki as Vice President in the Grand Coalition government.

As a result, many Kenyans and political pundits have seen Kalonzo as indecisive and one who cannot make a strong political stand, a perception he has worked over the years to shed off.

While Kalonzo may have moved to stamp his authority in Machakos he could have also sought to use the opportunity to show the country that he is fit to lead, even as the question of who will fly CORD’s flag in the 2017 presidential election lingers.