Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka has come under sharp scrutiny with many questioning his brand of politics after he declared himself the opposition honcho.
The three-year-old Azimio coalition has been shaken by the development which came just days after Raila Odinga announced that he is essentially retiring.
Opposition believes the former Vice President has not mustered the courage to step into Raila’s big shoes.
Kalonzo, being the senior most politician in the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance, is in a pole position to inherit Raila’s mantle.
He has received the support of Jubilee secretary general Jeremiah Kioni as well as DAP-K leader Eugene Wamalwa to lead the coalition.
Kalonzo now has a chance to redeem himself after earning the infamous ‘watermelon’ tag during the heated referendum campaign in 2010 due to his indecisive and untrustworthy nature.
Many believe his brand of politics in a country rife with dirty political manoeuvres, including insults, have not been working for him.
The 2008 presidential candidate under the ODM Kenya banner plans to face President William Ruto in 2027.
He has zealously presented himself as the “alternative leader of government” in the majority of his press invitations.
The former vice president declared in August that he intended to establish a shadow government to keep the current administration on its toes, proving once more that he means business.
However, political analysts question Kalonzo’s capacity to mount a credible political opposition.
According to governance expert Javas Bigambo, the Wiper boss has demonstrated he cannot step into Raila’s big shoes.
“For example, since Raila became politically dormant in local politics as a result of his AUC bid, leaving the Azimio leadership up for grabs, Kalonzo has not taken the initiative to rise to the occasion,” Bigambo said over the phone.
“He has not demonstrated national leadership; we have not seen him go to claim Raila bases in Nyanza and Coast on his own or do anything to win the bases. He is looking for political leftovers.”
“He needs to pull his socks from around the anklets. He does not appear to have a serious backbone; he is a political jellyfish.”
Kalonzo has been luring disgruntled leaders from both President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza as well as Raila’s ODM.
In recent times, Kalonzo and the embattled Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who has irrevocably lost his boss, have developed a newfound common ground.
Lawmaker Babu Owino of Embakasi East, one of Raila’s opponents of the broad-based government, is another close ally of the former vice president.
On the day Raila launched his bid for chairmanship of the African Union Commission (AUC), the young lawmaker joined Kalonzo for a press briefing.
In an interview with the Star, ODM deputy party leader Geoffrey Osotsi rejected Kalonzo’s designation, saying no Azimio organ had convened to reach such a decision.
“The issue of opposition leaders cannot be resolved through rallies. The issue of opposition leaders is based on the numbers in both houses, which speak for themselves,” Osotsi said.
The MP thinks he still has a long
way to go and change his style before
he can truly succeed Raila.