By Janet Philip
Labour Cabinet Secretary Dr. Alfred Mutua has launched a blistering attack on Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, accusing him of deliberately stalling development in the Ukambani region through what he termed a “Political Poverty Strategy” (PPS).
Speaking on Tuesday, June 10, Mutua alleged that Kalonzo’s decades-long political influence in the region has left it economically marginalized and socially stagnant, especially when compared to other parts of the country such as Nyanza, Mt. Kenya, and North Eastern.
“The slow pace of development in the Ukambani region is not by accident,” Mutua declared. “It is part of a deliberate strategy by Hon. Kalonzo Musyoka to maintain psychological control over the Kamba people.”
According to Mutua, the PPS is a political approach where leaders intentionally withhold development to maintain power by ensuring the population remains dependent and hopeful for intervention. “The goal is to make people see one man as their saviour — the only hope for their future,” he added.
He further argued that this political method thrives on keeping people poor and dependent, noting that economically empowered citizens are harder to manipulate. Mutua tied this strategy to a long-held local slogan, vomwe na vayetwa (Resist and be hardened), which he said has been misused to naturalize poverty in the region.
Mutua compared Kalonzo’s strategy unfavorably to that of ODM leader Raila Odinga, who has on multiple occasions reached out to work with the government of the day, a move that has brought numerous development projects to the Nyanza region.
“Raila shook hands with government and his people benefited. But Kalonzo has refused to do the same, leaving Ukambani isolated,” Mutua said, urging the people to begin a “revolution of thought.”
While he called for a political awakening in the region, Mutua warned against insults or personal attacks against Kalonzo. “He must be respected, but he must also be exposed,” he said. “His legacy is one of suffering — from mothers dying during childbirth to unemployed youth and elders living in poverty. All this is the consequence of the PPS.”
To drive his point home, Mutua pointed to the state of Kalonzo’s home village in Tseikuru, which was recently visited by a delegation of MPs. He claimed the visit revealed underdevelopment that should not be associated with a man who once served as Kenya’s vice president.
As a way forward, Mutua proposed a new mantra for the region: vololoe na Mutua (liberate and transform), urging residents to abandon defeatist thinking and embrace development-focused politics.
His remarks have sparked mixed reactions across the political spectrum, with supporters hailing the speech as a bold truth, while critics accuse Mutua of politicizing poverty for personal gain. Kalonzo Musyoka is yet to publicly respond to the allegations.
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