Wiper Democratic Movement Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka has accused President William Ruto of planning to remove Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi from power.
Speaking on February 6, Kalonzo said Ruto said the plan to remove Tshikedi in power was hatched in Kenya at the Serena Hotel.
“DRC people cannot come in Nairobi, what did he (Rut0) do? They started the Congo Basin Initiative whose goal was to remove Tshikedi from power here at Serena Hotel,” Kalonzo said.
Kalonzo stated that Presidents Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame of Rwanda were unable to come to Nairobi, which led to President Ruto’s decision to hold the joint East African Community (EAC) and SADC meeting in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
Kalonzo revealed that he is a close friend of Presidents Tshisekedi and Kabila, and that he had spoken to both to form a coalition, a move that led to the DRC joining the EAC.
He noted that while Uhuru Kenyatta was the Chief Mediator in Eastern DRC, he left when the country joined the EAC, and DRC did not receive sufficient support.
Kalonzo reiterated his earlier statement that President Ruto had refused to facilitate Uhuru, leading to the collapse of the peacekeeping process.
Response to Govt’s Statement
He further explained that Prime CS Musalia Mudavadi has not been fully briefed about the situation in DRC and emphasized that had Uhuru been facilitated, the EAC standby force may not have left DRC.
“Uhuru was not facilitated, had he been facilitated, perhaps even the EAC standby force could not have left DRC. Angola took over through SADC because Uhuru could not deliver,” Kalonzo said.
“Mudavadi is not aware of these. I know him, he is my friend. He was just to oppose my statement, and he did exactly that.”
Also Read: Did Ruto Make a Mistake by Involving Kenya and U.S in DRC Conflict? – Experts
Mudavadi Fires Back at Kalonzo
This follows Mudavadi’s criticism of Kalonzo’s earlier remarks, in which he blamed Ruto for the ongoing crisis in the DRC.
Mudavadi dismissed the claims, stating that Kenya has no involvement in the situation in the DRC.
“The crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has nothing to do with Kenya or its leadership. We do not share borders, nor do we have any interest in the DRC other than peace, stability, and prosperity for its people,” he said.
Additionally, he accused Kalonzo of trying to overextend his political witch hunt against Ruto by linking him to the issues in the DRC.
Also Read: Kenya Clears Air on Ruto Being Part of DRC Problems
He dismissed Kalonzo’s statement as reckless, particularly from a leader who had served as Minister of Foreign Affairs for a long time and was expected to understand the dynamics of the DRC better.
It is therefore regrettable that Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka, in a clip circulating on social media, insinuates that President William Ruto is part of the problem in the crisis in the DRC,” the statement read.
Follow our WhatsApp Channel and join our WhatsApp Group for real-time news updates.
