Speaking during a rally in Makutano, Kalonzo, who had adopted a rare conciliatory tone toward the UDA National Chairperson, urged the governor to “return home” if she felt abandoned by the ruling party.
His remarks came amid growing tension between the government and the united opposition coalition led by Kalonzo, Martha Karua, and Eugene Wamalwa.
“We know that UDA has no confidence in her. I want to take this opportunity to ask her, kama anaona huko kumeumana, arudi nyumbani,” Kalonzo told the gathering, suggesting that Mbarire was politically isolated within the Kenya Kwanza government.
However, the Wiper leader’s overture was met with immediate disapproval from the crowd. As murmurs grew louder, chants of rejection filled the air, forcing Kalonzo to cut short his appeal.
The crowd’s unyielding stance reflected the deep mistrust Embu residents still hold against the governor, who remains a key ally of President William Ruto.
Sensing the hostility, Kalonzo tactfully backtracked, turning the moment into a light exchange with the audience. “Hamtaki yeye? Wangapi wanasema aende? Hio ni haki yenu!” he remarked, acknowledging the crowd’s decision and moving on with his speech.
The incident underscored the delicate balancing act facing the opposition as it courts support from regions long considered UDA strongholds.
While Kalonzo’s gesture was meant to project inclusivity, it instead exposed the political rift between local voters and pro-government leaders seen as betraying the opposition’s cause.
Political observers note that the Embu backlash is a reminder of how emotionally charged Kenya’s grassroots politics remain; where alliances are tested not just by ideology but by history, loyalty, and perception.
For Kalonzo, the Embu episode highlights the limits of reconciliation politics in a region still fiercely divided by 2022 election loyalties.
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