'They won't divide us', Opposition tells Ruto over wooing Kalonzo

Opposition leaders on Friday told off President William Ruto over his efforts to lure Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka into joining his government.

The leaders said such a move was aimed at weakening the opposition.

In several stopover rallies in Makueni County along townships on the Mombasa–Nairobi highway, the opposition chiefs stated that they would remain united to unseat Ruto in a round one presidential vote.

“We have traversed Ukambani for public endorsement of the Wiper leader by his home turf before he is released to go to other regions. As we do this, we have heard them reaching out to Kalonzo to have a working formula with them,” said Eugene Wamalwa, DAP-K party leader, at Emali town.

Wamalwa added: “It is unacceptable for a man of this calibre to work with a government that has the blood of Kenyan youths on its hands. If you see them, tell them they will not succeed in dividing us.”

President Ruto last month said he was ready to work with Kalonzo in government, claiming that after the 2022 elections, he personally reached out to the Wiper leader to form a working coalition.

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“The first person I reached out to, to come and work with me even before going for ODM party leader Raila Odinga, was Kalonzo. But he took me in circles,” Ruto said at State House, during a meeting with a section of Ukambani leaders.

Ruto said he was still open to working with Kalonzo in a joint framework of cooperation to confront the socio-economic and political challenges facing the Ukambani region.

Kalonzo, however, refuted such claims, stating that there had been no such conversations between him and Ruto.

This claim by Ruto has irked opposition leaders, who suspect mischief on the part of the president.

On Friday, DCP party leader Rigathi Gachagua accused Ruto of using low-profile leaders in government to woo Kalonzo into joining the administration.