Wiper MPs have turned the tables against the interim party chairman Prof Kivutha Kibwana and want him to resign from the party and seek a fresh mandate.
The MPs led by the national organising secretary Robert Mbui also urged Wiper ward representatives to escalate their war against corruption in the three counties, accusing Ukambani governors of being afraid to be questioned on corrupt undertakings.
The MPs on Wednesday told off Prof Kibwana and accused of masterminding an ‘evil scheme’ to break the party and the Ukambani voting bloc. They castigated him for being overly critical of the party leader Mr Kalonzo Musyoka.
Responding to the three Ukambani governors — Prof Kibwana (Makueni), Dr Alfred Mutua (Machakos) and Charity Ngilu (Kitui) — the legislators said the party’s National Executive Committee will meet to summon Mr Kibwana to “to explain why he has absconded his responsibility.”
“Wiper as a party has been restraining itself from responding to Prof Kibwana. But he has crossed the red line and we feel that it is time to take him head on,” said Mr Enock Wambua, who is the Kitui Senator during a press conference at Parliament Building.
“He has failed to give direction in the party because he has been an absentee chairman,” added Mwingi Central MP Gideon Mulyungi, a statement which was supported by Mr Mbui, who said the Makueni governor has ceased being the party’s chairman.
The Wiper legislators want him to seek a fresh mandate if he feels he has the support of the electorate instead of incessantly attacking Mr Musyoka.
‘STOKING REBELLION’
During a tour of Masinga on Wednesday, the three governors said they will lead the community in a different political direction.
The governors accused Mr Musyoka of stoking rebellion in the county assemblies, an accusation the MPs denied saying the party leader has been at the forefront in brokering peace.
“Mr Musyoka has attempted to broker peace in the County Assembly of Kitui between the MCAs and the governor but she scuttled the efforts,” said Mr Mbui who called on them (MCAs) to continue with their oversight role.
“The governor has roles and the MCAs have their roles too. They are doing their duty. In fact, they should step up the fight. The governors should brace themselves to be held accountable,” said the Kathiani legislator.
The MPs accused the governors of being ungrateful for invoking the name of the party leader to be elected in the 2017 elections and turning against him for ‘selfish interests’ over the 2022 elections.
Mr Mulyungi called the three governors political opportunists who left their parties to use Kalonzo’s name to win their political seats.
“We want to tell them that Mr Musyoka has an automatic backing of Ukambani and he is a national presidential candidate. It is unfortunate that the governor has recruited the other two into an evil scheme to divide the community ahead of 2022 election to deny Mr Musyoka a chance of getting to State House,” said Mr Wambua.