CS Mutua Takes on Kalonzo Head-on For Calling Kambas Cowards

Foreign Affairs Cabinet Secretary Alfred Mutua has called out Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka for calling the Kamba community cowards. 

Kalonzo had asked the Kamba community to be aggressive as the Luo community in political agitation. 

This is after the region failed to take part in demonstrations called by the Azimio la Umoja brigade.

In a statement, the CS disagreed with Kalonzo on the matter saying Kambas will not be driven into fighting a lost course.

Mutua said it’s surprising that a leader of the stature of Kalonzo who he said has built his career in diplomacy and peacebuilding would urge communities to what he termed as "violence".

"I wish to humbly and with a lot of respect, inform him that the world and Kenya prefer peace to violence. This is not because a certain community - Kambas in this case - are cowards. NO - it is because they are just not violent and do not approve of maandamano, violence, looting, and destruction of property," Mutua stated.

"Kenyans and indeed Kamba’s are intelligent people and do not engage in futility. People know the reality and no amount of desperation will get us to participate in a lost cause: You really want our relatives to burn their businesses in Machakos, Kitui, Mwingi, Wote etc to be seen to be brave? Engaging in violence and unjustified processes do not make one a hero. They, instead, expose one’s desperate underbelly."

Kalonzo, who spoke on Wednesday in Makueni during the burial of Machakos businessman and long-time ally Pius Musembi, said Kamba people should behave like the Luos if they want to win the presidency.

“If you Kambas behaved like Luos, this seat we would clinch the following day. The cowardice that we displayed… If we were like Musembi, the whole nation would take notice. These things are never given, they are grabbed. You go for it!” he said.

“And if you want to quote the bible, Matthew 12:11: Since the days of John the Baptist, the kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent shall take it by force.”

But Mutua however said if Kambas have issues of concern, choosing what he termed as violence is and will never be part of their strategy in finding solutions.

"Kenyans, and especially the Kamba community, have many issues that they desperately need to deal with. Engaging in insurrection, destruction of property, bringing tension and scaring away investors who will provide jobs to the children of the many (you violent-causing elite already handed your kids plum jobs), is not part of our wisdom," he stated.

"It may not seem like it to you but Kenyans have moved on - They know there is a brilliant plan for a great future soon and kweli, Mbele iko Sawa."