A member of the Kamba Elders Advisory Council has dismissed claims. Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka achieved nothing in his four decades in political leadership.
Campbell Munyambu said on Saturday such accusations are stemming from sheer ignorance and being out of touch with reality.
He said Kalonzo initiated and championed numerous development projects during his tenure as MP for Kitui North, which later became Mwingi North, after he was first elected to Parliament in 1985.
“I wonder how ignorant some Kenyan politicians can be. Kalonzo was behind a myriad of projects in his former constituency that made his constituents elect him for five-and-a-half consecutive terms until 2013,” Munyambu said in Mwingi.
He challenged Kalonzo’s political rivals to undertake thorough research before making what he termed “baseless accusations” about the former vice-president’s development record.
“Kalonzo is a development-conscious leader who achieved a lot for his people. As an MP, he was expected to serve his electorate and initiate development in his constituency. He performed sterlingly well,” Munyambu said.
He said many of the projects initiated by Kalonzo were still visible and continued to benefit residents years after he left Parliament.
The remarks came amid criticism from politicians, particularly those allied to the UDA and President William Ruto, who have sought to challenge Kalonzo’s presidential ambitions by questioning his development record during his long political career.
During a visit to Mwingi North last year, where he launched the tarmacking of the 13-kilometre Kamuwongo-Kandwia road, Ruto questioned why Kalonzo had not facilitated the tarmacking of the road leading to his rural home in Tseikuru.
While leading the Kitui UDS brigade in community empowerment meetings across Kitui, Kitui South MP stressed that Ruto had decided to tarmac the road leading to Kalonzo’s rural home in Tseikuru.
Munyambu, who is also the coordinator of the Mwingi Professionals Association, said the ongoing improvement of the Kibwezi-Kitui-Mwingi road to bitumen standards could be traced to initiatives championed by Kalonzo.
“Those who can remember know that Kalonzo took a contractor to the ground and inspected the entire road stretch from Kibwezi through Kitui to Mwingi. Media reports on that visit still exist,” he said.
He said Kalonzo pushed for the tarmacking of Mwingi town’s main streets, as well as the about 30-kilometre Mwingi-Kamuwongo road.
Munyambu also credited Kalonzo with helping address chronic water shortages in Mwingi through the Kiambere-Mwingi water pipeline project, which was initiated in the 1990s and commissioned by the then President Daniel Moi.
“It is in the knowledge of all and sundry that Mwingi town residents faced serious water scarcity until Kalonzo initiated the Kiambere-Mwingi water pipeline project,” he said.
Munyambu said Mwingi town and the then peri-urban Migwani trading centre were also connected to the national electricity grid through Kalonzo’s efforts while he was MP.
He also credited Kalonzo with championing the creation of Mwingi district, arguing the move brought government services closer to residents who previously had to travel to Kitui town, then the district headquarters, to access essential services.
“When he became MP, the people of the Mwingi region were being served from Kitui town, the then district headquarters. He pushed for and ensured the creation of Mwingi district to bring services closer to the people,” he said.
On education, Munyambu said Kalonzo supported school development projects through fundraising and other initiatives at a time MPs did not have access to the CDF.
“Although during most of his time in Parliament MPs did not enjoy the benefit of CDF, he supported many school projects both within and outside his constituency through fundraisers,” he said.
Munyambu said Mwingi North had fewer than 10 secondary schools when Kalonzo entered Parliament, but the number had risen to more than 30 by the time he left the constituency in 2013.
He also cited the Kalonzo Musyoka Foundation’s scholarship and bursary programmes, saying they enabled learners from financially disadvantaged families to pursue education up to university level.
