Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has strongly criticized Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka over his remarks alleging Kenya’s involvement in the ongoing conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Mudavadi termed Kalonzo’s statements as reckless and misleading, especially coming from a leader with a long history in foreign affairs.
Speaking on Wednesday, Mudavadi expressed disappointment over Kalonzo’s attempt to link President William Ruto to the crisis in DRC. He described it as an unnecessary political attack that could have diplomatic repercussions.
“Kalonzo’s attempt to seek to link President Ruto with the issues in DRC is not only an attempt to overstretch his political witch hunt for the Head of State but also reckless, especially for a leader who served for a long time as a Minister of Foreign Affairs and was supposed to understand better the DRC dynamics,” Mudavadi said.
The Prime CS emphasized that the DRC crisis is deep-rooted and has been a subject of regional and international diplomatic efforts since the 1960s. He reaffirmed Kenya’s neutral stance, insisting that the country has no vested interests in the conflict other than advocating for peace and stability.
“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 DRC other than peace, stability, and prosperity for its people,” Mudavadi stated.
His comments came in response to a viral video in which Kalonzo criticized President Ruto’s handling of DRC peace talks. Kalonzo argued that Ruto’s decision to sideline former President Uhuru Kenyatta from mediation efforts had undermined Kenya’s credibility in the process. He further questioned Ruto’s ability to mediate the DRC conflict while, in his view, struggling to address internal issues in Kenya.
“When Ruto took over, the mistake he made was removing Uhuru Kenyatta as the chief mediator. He refused to facilitate him and the whole thing went to Angola. How does Ruto think he can solve the DRC crisis yet he has failed in Kenya?” Kalonzo posed.
The conflict in DRC escalated recently when the M23 rebel group seized the strategic city of Goma following intense clashes with the Congolese army. The situation has sparked regional concerns, with neighboring countries and international bodies calling for urgent diplomatic intervention.
As Kenya continues to engage in regional peace efforts, Mudavadi urged leaders to exercise caution in their statements to avoid jeopardizing the country’s diplomatic relationships.
