Azimio co Principles Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper) and Martha Karua seem to have laid strategy that will help them succeed their coalition party leader Raila Odinga.
While Kalonzo has already his strategy out, Karua seems to be warming up or executing her strategy behind the scenes with her latest move being an interview with former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo’s you tube channel where she laid bare her strategies of holding the Kenya Kwanza government into account.
On Kalonzo’s part, he has already gone flat out in an aggressive campaign blitz to inherit Raila’s base after he alongside his foot soldiers stormed three Nyanza counties’ Kisii, Nyamira and Migori on March 20.
In Migori he presided over the opening of the Wiper Democratic Movement office in Kehancha and later addressed a rally in Migori town where he promised the residents that he could push for the creation of Kuria county.
“When I was the Vice President, I was the one who brought the district here. I will continue advocating for the creation of Kuria county,” he said in a move seen as trying to understand the people of Kuria’s woes as they have for years complained of marginalization and have been demanding they be given a devolved unit.
Kalonzo was accompanied by Wiper luminaries led by MPs Innocent Obiri (Bobasi), Stephen Mule (Matungulu), Irene Kasalu (Kitui MP) and former lawmaker Ben Momanyi and Senators Enoch Wambua Kitui ) Agnes Muthama (Machakos) where they later went to Rongo constituency for another meet-the-people event.
In his tour, he dismissed fears that the Opposition would be crippled by Raila’s exit to the African Union Commission chairmanship saying he would continue leading the opposition to put the government in check.
“We must continue putting the government in check and point out any wrongdoing even in Raila’s exist, we will not remain mum. In case they overwhelm us, we shall ask Raila to come back and help us deal with these people,” Kalonzo said at Awendo while reinterring that Raila knew of his existence in his backyard.
In his tours dubbed meet the people tour, he has also visited some counties in Mt Kenya region including Embu and later met Kikuyu council of elders led by Wachira Kiago and Muranga politicians where it was agreed that elders from the two communities would meet to discuss a possible readmission of Akamba community into the Gikuyu Embu Meru Association (Gema) be replacing ‘association’ with ‘Akamba’.
On March 27, Kalonzo toured Kiambu county for a Sunday service at Anointed Christian Fellowship where he chided the Kenya Kwanza administration for the high cost of living.
The Wiper leader has teamed up with Democratic Action Party-Kenya (Dap-K) party leader Eugene Wamalwa and his Roots party counterpart Geroge Wajachoya in his quest to succeed Raila.
On the other hand, although much has not been seen with Karua, as she has snubbed Azimio summit meetings and public events attended by Raila or Kalonzo, her latest remarks calling on Kenyans to exercise their residue powers seemed to indicate that her card of succeeding Raila was aimed at calling for protests to ignite the disgruntled Kenyans against the Kenya Kwanza government.
She challenged Kenyans, who have been aggrieved by corruption and high cost of living to rise up and use their ‘residual power’ saying if the electorate felt the shoe was pinching the only way to rectify was standing up and saying no to the ills of the government.
“Kenyans have to be able to use their residual power because sovereignty belongs to the people, and it begins with each one of us leaders and citizens. Using their agencies, their voices to say enough is enough. Already people are having hardships, and they can’t feed their children. Many people’s houses have been closed while children have been home from school at a time when the State House wants Sh351 billion mucher than Sh 341 billion for all the counties,” said Karua.
Karua, who has teamed up with Jubilee Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni, also seems to be going back to her Mt Kenya region to consolidate her backyard which will then give her the political impetus for the national discourse.
The two have already convinced 13 small political parties to form an alliance with the Jubilee and Narc Kenya and will meet next month in a political conference dubbed Limuru three to deliberate the ‘unfolding political events especially on Raila’s soft handshake with Ruto and whether it is tenable for them to continue being in Azimio coalition.
Kioni said the resolution to hold Limuru three meetings was reached after 13 parties which had expressed interests to work with the Jubilee party agreed to review and audit the new developments in the Azimio coalition.
“Although the Azimio coalition is intact, the Jubilee party and the other political parties reached a consensus that we shall have the meeting to discuss the economic and political way forward as a Mt Kenya region,” said Kioni.
Asked whether they could discuss Raila’s bid to contest for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairmanship Kioni said ‘We may not dwell so much on his decision as we view it personal and a family decision but we will deliberate on how the move will affect Mt Kenya region and plan ourselves on how we shall manage ourselves for the two hours he said he will take come back home whenever there is an issue,” he said sarcastically.