During a recent rally in Nyandarua, where Kalonzo was flanked by Gachagua, Kenyans expressed concerns over the former’s ability to be a kingmaker in 2027.
While Kalonzo is a seasoned politician, he has earned a suspicious nickname, ‘watermelon‘, due to his past betrayals. Here are three political moves that made Kalonzo the undisputed ‘watermelon’ of Kenya’s politics.
Appointment as Vice President
After running third in the December 2007 presidential election, Musyoka was appointed as the vice president of Kenya. This came after he split votes against Mwai Kibaki and Raila Odinga.
While Kalonzo had all along campaigned against Kibaki, accepting to be his vice president openly signified political betrayal. As Musyoka took office, the ‘watermelon‘ tag stuck to his back throughout his term.
Green Outside, Red Inside
In the August 2010 constitutional referendum, Kalonzo switched sides swiftly, showing publicly that he supported the ‘Yes’ (symbolized by Green). This contradicted his initial stance, where he was a ‘No’ supporter.
While critics have superimposed the watermelon tag on Kalonzo’s identity, he has relentlessly denied the red and green narratives.
“This is the biggest lie. As a vice president of Kibaki, there is no way I would have opposed it because it was a cabinet position.” Kalonzo declared.
I don’t Support Azimio. Wait, I am with Raila
As the 2022 elections approached, Kalonzo said that he was no longer supporting Raila for the presidency. Surprisingly, by mid-2022, Kalonzo was fully aligned once again, supporting Raila and positioning himself as a close friend. True to his tag.
To cushion the pangs, Kalonzo has resorted to humour by highlighting the beauty of the fruit.
“In fact, it is a very beautiful fruit.” He chuckles.
