Wiper Party leader Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka has cut short his trip to the UK to return home for the burial of ex-Prime Minister Raila Odinga, an act which shows the depth of their long-standing political relationship and friendship.
Kalonzo, who had attended a series of meetings with Kenyan diaspora leaders and foreign institutions in London, boarded a flight back home to Nairobi on Wednesday evening.
He will be arriving at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) at 6:00 AM Friday, October 17, according to a statement issued by his secretariat.
“Party Leader of the Wiper Party has departed Heathrow International Airport for Nairobi, Kenya,” Zein Abubakar’s short statement verified as his communications secretary.
The swift return is a reflection of the magnitude of loss among not only Kenya’s political class but the country as well.
Kalonzo and Raila had a tangled but longstanding politics rivals for years, eventually turning into collaborators, and occasionally co-architects of opposition groupings that characterized Kenya’s democratic politics.
Kalonzo was in the UK for high-level engagements, including pre-scheduled meetings with the Commonwealth Secretariat, diaspora town halls, and policy talks with experts.
The visit was seen as part of his advance work ahead of the 2027 presidential election, following his recent nomination by the Wiper Party as its flag bearer.
“This journey was also part of our overall strategy to unite international allies and energize Kenyans in the diaspora on issues of concern governance, economic empowerment, and rejuvenation of the country,” stated Senator Abdalla Shakila, who is part of Kalonzo’s entourage.
When he comes to Nairobi, Kalonzo should be among Raila’s relatives, political allies, and Kenyans of all walks of life in mourning a man broadly regarded as the father figure of modern opposition politics in Kenya.
For Kalonzo, the return home is political, but also personal. The two battled trenches of years together in the most defining experiences of Kenya’s transition.
From the coalition politics of NASA to the 2013 and 2017 election tensions, theirs was a bond forged in the furnace of national struggle one that was built on common values, agonizing struggles, and respect.
As Kenya gets ready to say goodbye to one of her tallest political leaders, Kalonzo’s return is a reminder of the bonds that outlast political office and of the human moments of stillness that make up public life behind the podiums and the press conferences.
