Mwala MP and UDA National Organising Secretary Vincent Kawaya has cautioned Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka against being manipulated by the Opposition, claiming he is being used as a pawn for political convenience rather than genuine leadership.
Speaking in Kilifi during a meeting with members of the Akamba community, Kawaya alleged that the Opposition is only using Kalonzo to remain relevant while knowing well that President William Ruto remains firmly in control of the country’s political landscape.
“They are only using him for convenience, not because they believe he can win,” Kawaya remarked, suggesting that Opposition leaders view Kalonzo as a placeholder figure rather than a national contender.
He criticised the recently held Wiper National Delegates Conference (NDC) at Uhuru Park, describing it as a tribal event lacking a national outlook. “It showed no national support, only ethnic mobilisation. That meeting could as well have been held in Kitui or Makueni,” Kawaya said.
Kawaya contrasted the Opposition’s “empty politics” with the Kenya Kwanza government’s development agenda, highlighting ongoing projects in Ukambani and the Coast. He pointed to road, electricity, and water projects as examples of President Ruto’s commitment to uplifting historically marginalised regions.
“Ukambani too was sidelined, but Ruto is correcting that history by uniting marginalised communities and giving Kamba leaders a seat at the national table,” he said.
The Mwala MP’s influence appears to be growing within the Ukambani region. Recently, a section of Kamba elders in Makueni crowned him as an elder, and he has been leading grassroots mobilisation drives, including boda boda empowerment programs in Kitui.
Kawaya clarified that his mission is not to fight Kalonzo but to bring him closer to government. “We don’t have to fight Kalonzo — he is our elder. I am asking him respectfully; we want to work with you,” he said.
In Kilifi, Kawaya launched the Mbaitu Kilifi Association, uniting over 60,000 Akamba residents in the coastal county, calling them a “voting bloc too big to be ignored.”
