NAIROBI, Kenya – Wiper Patriotic Front (WPF) leader Kalonzo Musyoka has announced that he will not attend the upcoming Mashujaa Day national celebrations.
News Nine Kenya understands that the celebrations to be presided over by President William Ruto will be held at the Ithookwe Stadium in Kitui County on October 20, 2025.
However, in an interview with Iko Nini, a popular Kenyan podcast, Kalonzo, who hails from Kitui County, insisted that he would snub the event.
“I will not be there myself,” said Kalonzo, who comes from Tseikuru in Mwingi, Kitui County.
Kalonzo was reacting to claims that during his over 30 years in politics, he had never initiated any tangible development projects in the county.
“We, the people of the Ukambani region, have been deprived of our rights economically. The road from Kibwezi to Kitui, which retired president Uhuru Kenyatta attempted to construct during his second term, has since stalled,” said the former vice president.
Why the Ukambani road is significant
According to Kalonzo, this particular road should have cut through Mwingi, Maua, Meru, Isiolo, and through to Ethiopia.
“This means that landlocked Ethiopia should have been using this road to access the Kenyan city of Mombasa. But these people in power don’t know the impact of this particular infrastructure,” added Kalonzo.
Kalonzo claimed that the failure to implement the road project by the ruling Kenya Kwanza regime was a way to “punish” him for refusing to board the broad-based government bandwagon.
“It is unfortunate that my own Member of Parliament now has to kneel to the president to help tarmac a 17km road in his constituency that is part of this project that I launched in Kibwezi while still serving as the vice president,” Kalonzo further said while accusing the contractor of sleeping on the job.
When was the last time Kalonzo met Ruto
However, despite vowing to skip the Mashujaa Day national celebrations, Kalonzo said that the head of state was much welcomed to Kitui County.
“President Ruto is going for Mashujaa Day national celebrations in Kitui. He is so welcome. I am sure the people there will tell him about this particular road project that I am talking about,’ he further said.
Kalonzo, a co-principal in the United Opposition movement, disclosed that the last time he met the president was when the National Dialogue Committee officially presented its report to him and Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga.
The 10-member team was led by Kalonzo and Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah.
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