Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka now says the late president Mwai Kibaki endorsed him for the presidency at the end of his tenure in 2012.
The wiper leader, who served as the second in command during Kibaki’s second term in office, said that due to their cordial working relationship, the then president endorsed him to be his successor in the lead up to the 2013 polls, while on a tour of Machakos County.
“As the Vice President, my number one preoccupation was to make sure that Kibaki must do what he did with relative calm and peace of mind,” Kalonzo stated in an exclusive interview with Citizen TV.
“I never caused Kibaki any stress. In fact, he was so happy at the end of it before he left office he got hold of his bakora and we drove as we were going to plant trees in Kitui.”
Kalonzo added: “We stopped in Machakos and Kibaki there issued a statement and he said huyu Vice President amenisaidia sana, sasa mnisaidie tumueke hapo juu; that was an endorsement.”
Kalonzo went further to defend his assertions saying that he kept a tight bond with Kibaki that enabled the prosperity of the regime.
“The chemistry was absolutely correct; I can’t remember a day when he called and said ‘what is this I hear?’ No, we worked under a working government, it really was,” he stated.
During the contested 2007 election where Kalonzo emerged third behind Kibaki and former premier Raila Odinga, he dismissed claims that his involvement in the highly-contested polls prevented the two perceived front runners from achieving an early lead.
The wiper boss In defending his decision to run, he argued that he was entitled by the law to be in the contest, even though his current move to back Odinga is centred on ensuring support is consolidated to propel the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party flagbearer to the presidency.
“I would not regret it. I have a political right to run for president and just in case, I think they were right. And that is why this time, to ease the heat in the country, let me support Raila for the third time so that I can appease those kinds of negative forces,” Kalonzo stated.
At the same time, Kalonzo commended the late president’s legacy, terming Kibaki as a “servant and tolerant” leader who ensured harmony among others.
While noting that the coalition government that brought in Odinga as Prime Minister contributed to the success of the government at the time, Kalonzo opined that the nation currently should adapt to that kind of leadership.
“When we were joined by Raila Odinga, the success of the grand coalition government which was the first-ever in Africa, was something we should all revisit,” he said.
“I am a negotiator and even if anybody needs me to negotiate a peaceful transition of President Uhuru Kenyatta, I’m ready, in memory of Mzee Kibaki.”