‘Kalonzo is too broke to run for president,’ Kitui MP Mbai claims as he drums up support for Ruto

Kitui East Member of Parliament Nimrod Mbai has urged Wiper Party Leader Kalonzo Musyoka to shelf his 2027 presidential ambitions and instead rally behind President William Ruto who will be seeking reelection.

Speaking on Friday at his rural home in Nzouni, the UDA-allied MP took a swipe at Kalonzo claiming he lacked the financial muscle to fuel a presidential campaign like his competitors.

He downplayed Kalonzo's political influence in the region saying that the Kamba community risks being in opposition again should it be pursued to support his (Kalonzo's) bid.

“He cannot win the presidency alone…the seat requires someone to spend heavily and traverse the country like Ruto. But if Kalonzo traverses the country for one week like Ruto, he will be broke by Thursday and then give up,” Mbai stated.

"Kalonzo cannot run a presidential campaign for one week, actually he will run broke on the third day. I am not convinced that he can make any meaningful impact.”

The controversial Kenya Kwanza lawmaker said that it was a wrong assumption for Kalonzo to expect Raila Odinga's endorsement which he says was not forthcoming.

"Just weigh yourself, you can't compete Raila, You can't compete Ruto. You can only join either of them but Raila's side is not an option since you've been there four times. Just join William Ruto for posterity,” said Mbai.

"Raila has invested all his life in politics and there's no way he can leave the button to Kalonzo. Raila will support someone else,” he said, adding that Kalonzo should instead consider hanging his political boots honourably.

The second-term MP said that he was working round the clock to cement President Ruto's support base in Kitui and ensure he (Ruto) bagged over 50% of the total county votes.

According to the MP, in the 2022 elections, President Ruto got 28 per cent of the total votes cast in the region as compared to past elections, an indication that Kalonzo's support in his Kitui backyard has been slowly diminishing.

Mbai who is rooting for Kitui County UDA chairmanship in forthcoming party elections similarly implored the Kamba community to support the ruling party in a bid to secure developments.

Just like the Mount Kenya region ignored calls by former president Uhuru Kenyatta to support Raila in the previous election, Mbai called on the Kamba community to shift their support from Kalonzo whom he alleged was 'misleading the people. "