RESISTANCE AHEAD OF HISTORIC KAMBA COMMUNITY MEETING

Queries are being raised over the agenda of a historic meeting of Kambas that is said to be in the offing. It is said that a section of Kamba leaders is wary of the agenda of the meeting with some fearing it will be a forum for a major declaration that will seek to have the older generation of leaders hand over the baton to young leadership through duress. 

According to sources, Kamba elders, clergy, professionals, businessmen and women, civil society and youth leaders will converge in Machakos to draw a 30-year roadmap for the community. It is this long term plan that is said to be worrying the elderly leaders who fear that it is a clever scheme to retire them from politics in unprecedent fashion. Among those who have expressed opposition to the meeting are Kalonzo Musyoka, Nyiva Mwendwa, Johnstone Muthama and David Musila. 

This comes as Ukambani bishops sensationally faulted the elderly leaders for allegedly being behind community’s under-development by minding only their personal aggrandisement. Another factor that is causing anxiety in the Kalonzo-Muthama camp is that the meeting could also be used to make a communication against calls for a referendum. 

Those in the change-generation leadership reportedly are asking where Kalonzo at 65, can lead Kambas after 30 years in power including being vice president. Although Kalonzo claims to enjoy international credentials, a bishop said, no foreign organisation has come to any part of Ukambani through him. Already, Musila and Nyiva have decided to quit active politics at the end of their current term in parliament.

But most worrying to the Kalonzo old guard axis is a  recently conducted research in Ukambani that revealed  majority want new brooms with 71pc favouring new leadership. 

Among the most cited “failure”  of the old leadership was lack of dams in this dry region and for Kalonzo specifically, his failure to have Kibwezi-Kitui-Maua road tarmacked. Kalonzo’s relationship with Raila saw a whopping 78.7pc oppose it if Raila Odinga will not step down for Kalonzo 2017. There have been attempts to keep the research findings under wraps. All Kamba professionals are asked to attend and see how their skills can be used to benefit the community as duty.