Muthama, Sonko plot Kamba unity ahead of election

The push to unify the politically fragmented Akamba community ahead of the 2027 General Election gained fresh momentum at the weekend after two heavyweights joined forces to rally lower Eastern region leaders behind a single political path.

Former Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama and flamboyant former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko made a surprise entry into Tala town, Machakos County, vowing to reconcile feuding leaders across the political divide.

Speaking in coded messages, the duo revealed plans to convene a mega consultative meeting aimed at steering the community toward a unified voting bloc.

Driven by concerns over political marginalisation, Muthama declared his readiness to mediate among key regional figures to prevent the community's vote from splitting.

"My solemn and singular duty is to ensure Sonko, (Alfred) Mutua, and Kalonzo Musyoka work together so that the Kamba vote does not go to waste. If they go different ways with their respective parties, it is the community that will suffer. I have offered to sacrifice myself to ensure the unity of the Akamba community," Muthama stated.

Muthama’s plan seeks to target influential political leaders and their supporters in the lower Eastern region and converge them for a discourse platform that will ultimately define the region’s political trajectory.

The major dominant parties include Kalonzo’s Wiper Patriotic Front, President William Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA), Dr Mutua’s Maendeleo Chap Chap, Sonko’s National Economic Development Party and former Kitui governor Charity Ngilu’s National Rainbow Coalition (Narc).

Smaller parties include Muungano, Chama Cha Uzalendo and Grand Dreams Development Party (GDDP) associated with Kangundo MP Fabian Kyule Muli.

Speaking exclusively to The Standard, Muthama revealed that preparations are underway for a high-stakes 'Komarock 3' convention to restore the political legacy of the community’s founding fathers.

"We must work together for the sake of the community. We hope to talk about these things when I host the community and all political leaders at the 'Komarock 3' meeting very soon," Muthama said.

He went on, "I intend to restore the political ideologies of the community’s political fathers, the late Paul Ngei and the late Mulu Mutisya, who championed the interests of our people."

Asked how he intended to reconcile the rival leaders, Muthama remained optimistic. "In politics, there are no permanent friends and no permanent enemies. In politics, one year is like one day, and one day is like one year. Nothing is impossible with prayers and goodwill," he added.

Muthama has previously convened two similar Komarock declarations, both yielding key political and economic consensus agreements for the region.

Addressing the Tala gathering, Sonko emphasised that the Akamba community must assert its authority on the national political stage to end economic and political marginalisation.

"We need to make our own 'mlima' [Mt. Kenya region] in Ukambani. Other communities have despised us for a long time. They are used to misusing our community as a rubber stamp," Sonko roared.

He wondered why the elected leaders from the community had failed to initiate life-transforming initiatives to rescue residents from the yoke of poverty. "A lot of our people are languishing in poverty, yet we have leaders in Parliament. This mockery of our community is now overtaken by time."

Sonko reiterated that Muthama has been tasked with bringing key leaders, including Kalonzo and Dr Mutua, to the negotiating table.

"We have sent Muthama to talk with Mutua, Kalonzo, and other leaders to set up a meeting so that as a community we agree and move in one direction. This mockery must end," Sonko declared.

Sonko warned that it would be an exercise in futility for Kalonzo to pursue his presidential dream in isolation and without substantial grassroots backing. “We all know that Kalonzo is running for president. But alone, he cannot go anywhere. We must converge to the drawing table and strategise, or else we perish together as a community,” Sonko warned.

However, the proposed Komarock 3 convention has triggered a fresh scrutiny into its underlying motive, given the stark position held by Kalonzo and his close allies who have insisted the Wiper party leader will not settle for anything else but the presidency.

Machakos Deputy Governor, Francis Mwangangi, scoffed at the plan, claiming the arrangement is part of Ruto’s plan to sponsor political entities to infiltrate opposition territories, particularly Ukambani and the Mt Kenya region.

“The region is 100 per cent united for Kalonzo. Only a few leaders feel they are not part of the larger community. If they want a meeting, they should first declare that they are out of the government because we are not seeking to collaborate with Ruto but to defeat him on the ballot,” said Mwangangi.

Former Machakos Town MP, Victor Munyaka and former Chief Administrative Secretary Musyoka Kalla, who also doubles up as a Wiper National Executive Council (NEC) member, dismissed the idea, terming it a clever political scheme aimed at auctioning Kalonzo to President Ruto.

“That is an elaborate scheme to deliver Kalonzo to the government. The community already has a candidate in Kalonzo. We can only support the proposed convention if the agenda is to support Kalonzo’s presidential candidature,” Dr Munyaka said.

Munyaka also read an intent to neutralise the Wiper party’s influence in the region. “It could also mean a strategy to kill the Wiper party. If they are serious, we challenge them to first denounce their loyalty to Ruto and pledge their allegiance to Kalonzo,” Munyaka told The Standard on the phone.

His sentiments were echoed by Kalla, who dismissed the consensus-building push as a total waste of time. “The only discussion we can have with them is how we are going to accommodate them in Kalonzo’s government. Anybody wishing to work with Kalonzo should come unconditionally because the Akamba community is already with him and there is no contradiction about that,” said Kalla.

Similar resistance flew from UDA side, where Ruto’s point man in the region, Vincent Kawaya who is also the Mwala legislator, Vincent Kawaya who questioned Muthama’s allegiance to the President.

“This question has to be answered practically. It is either you are affiliated with Kalonzo or Ruto. We do not want lukewarm politics. I would welcome the meeting if the agenda is strictly aimed at redeeming the community,” said Kawaya.

Kawaya affirmed that the Akamba community had already made up its mind because it was tired of languishing in the opposition. “There is no other discussion that surpasses roads, water, markets and other empowerment initiatives that are already being undertaken by the president. For us, we will not enter into a discussion if the agenda is not clearly to uplift our people.”

Labour Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua signalled his willingness to heed the call, emphasising the need to guard the community. “We cannot wallow in poverty because of uncompromising politics. We start everything and end everything with the community first,” Dr Mutua told The Standard in a telephone interview.