Mulyungi Defies Kalonzo, Rejects Wiper Primaries as Mwingi Central Race Heats Up

Mwingi Central MP Gideon Mulyungi has drawn a hard line in the sand ahead of the 2027 General Election, declaring that he will not participate in Wiper Patriotic Front nominations, setting the stage for a potentially bruising political showdown within the party in Kitui County.

In remarks delivered at Thitha Comprehensive School in Kivou Ward on Tuesday, October 20, 2026, Mulyungi maintained that his record as a sitting MP and loyalty to Wiper should be enough to secure him the party ticket without having to compete in another nomination contest, Mulyungi trashed Kalonzo Musyoka directive of party preliminaries for all members

“If Wiper conducts parliamentary nominations in Mwingi Central, I will be in my house sleeping. I shall not participate. Let them compete with others, not me,” the MP declared, in a statement that places the party leadership in a difficult position ahead of the 2027 elections.

His position presents a direct challenge to Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who has repeatedly promised free, fair and credible nominations across Ukambani. The party is keen to avoid a repeat of the 2022 experience, when disgruntled aspirants who lost nominations ran as independent candidates, weakening Wiper’s chances in several electoral contests.

However, Mulyungi’s emerging challenger, John Makau, the Kitui County Chief Officer for Finance, has insisted that no aspirant should be handed a direct ticket. Makau, who has been building his profile through engagements with youth and women’s groups, argues that the party must allow voters to determine its candidates through a competitive nomination process.

“All of us are in Wiper. If we believe in democracy, let the people decide. No direct ticket. Let us go to the ballot, and the winner gets the ticket,” Makau said in September while accompanying Kalonzo during the handover of a school bus to Mama Pauline Kalonzo Girls’ Senior School in Kyuso.

The emerging contest is therefore shaping into more than a battle between an incumbent and an ambitious challenger. It is increasingly becoming a test of Wiper’s commitment to internal democracy, the protection of sitting MPs and the party’s ability to manage competing political interests without triggering defections or divisions ahead of the next General Election.

Mulyungi’s political differences with Governor Julius Malombe and Makau have also added another layer of tension. The MP reportedly skipped the September 24 memorial marking the 20th anniversary of Kalonzo’s mother, Serah Malia, in Tseikuru, amid claims that he was unwilling to share a platform with Malombe and Makau. The development has fuelled speculation about growing political friction within the Mwingi leadership circles.

Makau’s position as a serving county executive officer also raises questions about the timing of his political ambitions. Under Kenya’s electoral laws, public officers seeking elective office are generally required to resign at least six months before a general election. His growing political visibility, however, suggests that preparations for the Mwingi Central contest are already gathering momentum.

Beyond the nomination dispute, Mulyungi has recently intensified his criticism of the Malombe administration over the recruitment of 200 county employees. He has called on the Auditor-General and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate the County Public Service Board, alleging that none of the recruits came from Mwingi Central, Mwingi North or Mwingi West. The allegations have not, in the supplied report, been independently established.

The MP has vowed to pursue efforts to reverse the recruitment process after Malombe leaves office in 2027, describing the alleged exclusion of the wider Mwingi region as marginalisation and questioning the fairness of the exercise. His remarks have further sharpened the political differences between the Mwingi leadership and the county administration.

With the 2027 elections approaching, Kalonzo now faces a delicate balancing act: protecting an incumbent who says he has earned the party ticket while responding to an aspirant demanding a fair contest. Whether Wiper opts for consensus, a direct nomination or a competitive primary could shape not only Mwingi Central’s parliamentary race but also the party’s unity and electoral strength across Kitui County.

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