Wiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka speaks at Mama Pauline Kalonzo Girls High School in Kyuso, Kitui County, on September 23, 2026/ HANDOUTWiper Patriotic Front leader Kalonzo Musyoka has recalled what he described as a painful experience of being interviewed to become the late Raila Odinga’s running mate in the 2022 General Election.
Kalonzo said the experience was difficult because he had twice served as Raila’s running mate without being subjected to an interview process.
Speaking at Mama Pauline Kalonzo Girls High School in Kyuso, Kitui County, on Wednesday, Kalonzo said he had accepted the interview despite the concerns of his supporters.
“It was very painful. When we were running together, Raila and I, in 2013 and 2017, he did not interview me. In 2022, he told me Kalonzo should do an interview, and I accepted and went,” he said.
Kalonzo said his supporters were unhappy with his decision to participate in the process and felt he had subjected himself to unnecessary humiliation.
“My supporters felt sorry for me. They said, ‘You fool, how?’ They got angry. I told them, patience brings good things,” he said.
He used the experience to urge students at the school to embrace humility, patience and restraint, saying disagreement or being treated unfairly should not automatically lead to confrontation.
“So show humility, and that is a value I want to pass to this school because this is the type of value I want to pass in this group and every person associated with my type of leadership. Do not show pride. There is a God in heaven,” Kalonzo said.
He added that choosing patience should not be mistaken for weakness.
“In the Old Testament, there is a scripture on if they slap your left cheek, you give them the right one, but it does not mean you are a fool,” he said.
Kalonzo was speaking after he handed over a new school bus to Mama Pauline Kalonzo Girls High School in Kyuso, an institution named after his wife, Pauline Kalonzo.
The bus handover was part of his continued involvement with the school and his emphasis on education. During the ceremony, Kalonzo said the vehicle would give students opportunities beyond the classroom.
“This bus is more than a means of transport. It will open up opportunities for our girls: to learn, to compete, to explore and to participate in activities beyond the classroom,” he said.
In a post about the handover, Kalonzo said education remained close to his heart and described investment in education as an investment in the future of children and the country.
He said the bus would help the girls participate in learning, competitions and other activities beyond the classroom.
His comments about the 2022 interview provide a personal account of a political process that ended with Raila selecting Martha Karua as his running mate.
Kalonzo had worked with Odinga as his running mate in the 2013 and 2017 presidential elections. In 2022, he was among politicians considered for the position, alongside Karua and others and appeared before a panel that interviewed potential running mates. Karua was eventually selected by Raila.
