Ukambani politicians clash over distribution of relief food

The ongoing relief food distribution by the government and well-wishers is intended to cushion hunger-stricken Kenyans against the vagaries of drought. But in Kitui, Machakos and Makueni counties, which are among the most affected regions, the food aid efforts have sparked a fresh wave of squabbling between allies of President William Ruto and those of Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka.

United Democratic Alliance (UDA) chairman Johnson Muthama leads a team of allies of President Ruto in Ukambani who are pushing for Wiper politicians, who dominate the region, barred from accompanying government officials in distributing relief food. But Wiper politicians have refused to take the new fight while lying down.

Echoing businessman James Mbaluka who unsuccessfully ran for Kibwezi West MP seat on a UDA ticket and former Makueni Governor Kivutha Kibwana, Mr called out the use of Wiper politicians in the region to distribute relief food.

"I have to personally tell the president that the government should reconsider distributing relief food through opposition politicians," he said referring to the case of Makueni County where Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior has been the face of the relief food distribution exercise in the county.

Although Mr Kilonzo Jnr and his Machakos counterpart Wavinya Ndeti have been openly warming up to President Ruto’s administration to the extent they have risked their relationship with their party leader, the allies of President Ruto in the region want them to do more.

They argue that it is immoral for politicians under the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition umbrella to criticize the current administration while at the same time positioning themselves to score political points from government projects.

"If Mutula wants to distribute relief food he should join UDA, support the President and be ready to work with him. Allies of President Ruto should be involved in the distribution of relief food. That is the truth and not be challenged. It cannot be we have gone to look for guns and once we get them the soldiers we hand the weapons to turn against us," Mr Muthama said, earning a rebuke from Mr Kilonzo Jnr.

Mr Muthama spoke at his Machakos home on Sunday after hosting a section of President Ruto's allies in the region for a luncheon. The meeting, the first of its kind after the August 9 General Election, came on the day Mr Musyoka sensationally poured cold water over the ongoing distribution of relief food by the government as a ploy by President Ruto to campaign for his re-election.

That week Mr Kilonzo Jnr took on Mr Muthama and vowed to continue distributing relief food. Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua said the region has a right to the relief food distributed by the government.

"I saw someone saying that I should not distribute relief food to my people before I join UDA but I wondered if he was still in his senses because the last time I checked he was of sound mind. This morning through my office and that of the county commissioner we distributed maize and beans to 115 schools in Makueni County," Mr Kilonzo Jnr said on Friday.

The team of President Ruto’s allies is composed of professionals and politicians, many of whom lost their bids in the last General Election. The fight over relief food is understood to be part of their raft of measures to tame Mr Musyoka who has turned down overtures by the Kenya Kwanza Alliance family, maintained he will remain in opposition and even hinted at entering the 2027 State House race.

The allies of President Ruto have renewed their commitment to rally the Kamba community behind President Ruto’s administration not only in Ukambani but also in Mombasa and Nairobi as they threw shade on Mr Musyoka, the de facto Kamba political kingpin who has been the face of those opposed to the lifting of the ban against importation of genetically modified organisms which he says can jeopardize the health of Kenyans as he openly cautioned his allies against working with President Ruto.

However, former Kitui senator David Musila, who is part of the team of President Ruto’s allies, termed the criticism as untoward. “The Kamba community has already exhausted its chances of occupying the State House.

"Already the Kamba community has been in the political cold for a decade. We need to support the current government since we cannot afford to stay in the Opposition for another 10 years,” he said.