The former Vice President called on Kenyans to disregard the remarks by Junet affirming himself as the opposition leader.
Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka on Friday, August 30 refused to back down on his self-pronouncement as Kenya’s new opposition leader, rubbishing National Assembly Minority Leader, Junet Mohamed who termed his sentiments as ‘hot air’.
Speaking in Mombasa when he went to visit the family of the late Hasmukh ‘Hassu’ Patel, the founder of Mombasa Cement, Kalonzo accused Junet of self-imposing the role and using it to control public opinion and enforce authority on the people of Kenya.
The former Vice President called on Kenyans to disregard the remarks by Junet affirming himself as the opposition leader, noting that he did not mean what he said.
However, Kalonzo clarified that despite the altercation over who would take up the role of the opposition leader, he was still on good terms with the Suna East MP.
Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka speaks in Mombasa where he travelled to condole with the bereaved family of Mombasa Cement Limited CEO Hasmukh Patel on August 30, 2024. /KALONZO MUSYOKA
“What our friends are talking about here, as we await the discussions about the NADCO report, I was the co-chair who brought the report before Parliament,” the Wiper party leader stated.
“Of course, he is the leader in Parliament, we don’t have a problem with that. I often speak with Junet and advise him, so don’t take him seriously.”
Kalonzo stood by his declaration, arguing that the risk of the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO) being disrupted by the Kenya Kwanza coalition was still high and that he had to do so to avoid a leadership crisis should his fears manifest into reality.
He expressed intentions to continue working with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party and other affiliate parties in Azimio la Umoja despite some of the former’s members joining President William Ruto’s administration as Cabinet Secretaries (CS).
“There is such a thing as ‘defacto leadership’, perhaps I’ll explain lawfully. There is de jure which is awaiting the outcome of discussions. Suppose that the NADCO report is scuttled by Kenya Kwanza, shall we remain leaderless as an opposition? Of course not.
“Azimio has 23 political parties and we recognise all these parties. As a coalition, we intend to expand that space. Our counterparts at Kenya Kwanza want to swallow everyone,” he lamented.
Kalonzo’s sentiments came a day after Junet, who spoke during Treasury Cabinet Secretary John Mbadi’s thanksgiving ceremony, claimed that Kalonzo had imposed himself on the new role too soon and that there was no provision for such in the Constitution of Kenya…yet.
The vocal legislator revealed that the government was yet to entrench the Office of Official Opposition as mandated by the NADCO report.
“I heard our fellow brothers claiming that we as members of the ODM party are in government and that they are the new opposition leaders,” Junet claimed.
“There is no place in the constitution where the role of the opposition leader has been highlighted. We as the minority members in parliament, will work with the Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah to establish the position of the official opposition leader.”
Junet had claimed that he was the interim opposition leader after Raila Odinga kicked off his campaign trail for the African Union Commission (AUC) chairperson seat.
According to the lawmaker, the fact that he is the National Assembly Minority Leader makes him fit to take over Raila’s role as the opposition leader.
Junet Mohamed speaking in Migori County on August 29, 2024. /PCS