National Super Alliance (NASA) supporters are not yet convinced that Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka will be sworn-in as the deputy people’s president.
They still have doubts that the former Vice-President will have the courage to take the oath, after he together with other principals skipped the January 30 inauguration of opposition leader Raila Odinga.
His later confessions and shedding of tears at a press briefing to re-affirm to supporters that NASA principals are still together, has done so little to convince his followers that he is on course to become the 'deputy people’s president'.
What makes Kalonzo’s planned inauguration even cloudier is the fact that Wiper deputy party leader Farah Maalim expressed his fears that the event may not take place.
As much as NASA supporters would wish to ignore him and label his remarks as personal opinion, the fact remains that his speech has some pinch of salt.
He alluded to the fact that all the three principals who skipped the Uhuru park event have their eyes strained more on the 2022 elections than the current political jabbering by the opposition.
Kalonzo has tried to make amends and stand firm with the opposition. He has of late come out strongly to condemn the action taken by the government to intimidate opposition leaders.
He has spoken strongly on the deportation of Miguna Miguna and the blatant disrespect of court orders by top government officials. He also told off foreign envoys who were demanding that opposition leaders should first recognize Uhuru’s presidency before engaging in the much awaited dialogue.
The only problem is that people do not easily forget past betrayals. When Kalonzo betrayed the opposition in the shambolic elections of 2007, which saw him labelled a water melon, opposition politicians and supporters developed cold feet and rarely trust him to make big political decisions.
Now the trust is (almost) gone and even if he announces, like he did a few weeks ago, that he is ready to be sworn in, NASA supporters do not see the seriousness of it.
To majority of his supporters, his swearing-in still remains a mirage. Kalonzo's situation can be summarized in a wise saying that goes, “Cheat me once, you are a fool. Cheat me twice, I am a fool.”