By Martin Masai
Ultimatum on Speaker Kiusya Sets the Stage for Prolonged Political Paralysis in Machakos
May 30, 2025
Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka’s fiery demand today for the removal of Machakos Speaker Anne Kiusya now fuels a fully fledged war in Machakos County. But behind the thunderous fuming of the former Vice President lies a deeper crisis—one that now threatens to paralyze the Machakos County Assembly for the foreseeable future.
Kalonzo’s rallying cry at Mulu Mutisya Gardens may have electrified Wiper supporters and renewed pressure on Speaker Kiusya, but the arithmetic of impeachment remains stubbornly unyielding to both Kalonzo and Governor Wavinya Ndeti, the sponsor of the removal bid.
The Constitution requires a super two-thirds majority—45 out of 60 MCAs—to unseat the Speaker. The pro-impeachment faction, largely composed of 33 Wavinya die hards, falls short.
Even with the full force of Wiper’s whip, only five more MCAs from the party stand with Kiusya, potentially pushing the number to 38, still seven shy of the threshold.
In essence, Kalonzo has fired a political blank: loud, explosive, but lacking the capacity to effect the desired institutional change.
What it may achieve instead is to harden positions and deepen the divide within the assembly.
MCAs opposed to the impeachment, most from the Maendeleo Chap Chap Party and with tacit support from the Kenya Kwanza administration, are now more likely to entrench themselves. Kalonzo’s framing of Kiusya as a “UDA mole” simply reaffirms the political fault lines that have split the assembly down the middle. Being a Wiper Speaker, it is hardly believable that it is Chap Chap that has kept her in office since the open Wiper rebellion emerged in March, 2025.
If Kalonzo’s call is treated as a de facto party directive, MCAs may interpret neutrality or inaction as betrayal. This scenario could trigger heightened hostilities within the assembly, including physical fights, walkouts, procedural sabotage, or factional standoffs. Legislative paralysis may follow, with key county functions—budget approvals, oversight, and policy decisions—caught in the crossfire. A breakdown in relations between the Executive and Legislature will certainly hit new heights.
While Kalonzo may succeed in rallying his political base, the longer-term risks to Wiper are as dire,as they are substantial.
By personalizing the conflict around Kiusya and tying it to her alleged alignment with UDA, he has shifted the narrative from performance-based impeachment to a loyalty purge.
This could alienate neutral or swing MCAs, particularly those from minor parties or those eyeing political survival in 2027. Additionally, the impasse will stall development in Machakos- and he electorate is already questioning why Wiper is prioritizing politics over service delivery.
Ironically, Kalonzo’s open attack may play into Kiusya’s hands. With the legality of the impeachment motions already suspended by two court injunction, she can now frame herself as the embattled victim of political persecution.
Her defenders will likely use Kalonzo’s speech to argue that the impeachment push is not about governance or leadership failure but about punishing dissent.
Moreover, her visit to State House—cited by Kalonzo as her cardinal sin—may bolster her credentials as a bridge-builder in national politics, especially within the Kenya Kwanza power matrix.
In a polarized environment, that image could help her shore up allies beyond the assembly. Already, a huge chunk of top government officials who are sympathetic to the speaker feel that Kiusya is being fought for putting the executive on pressure to be accountable.
Kalonzo’s ultimatum has succeeded in stirring the political waters, but it may have created more smoke than fire. With an intact constitutional hurdle and legal battles still looming, the only certain outcome is instability. Unless backchannel negotiations or political realignments shift the numbers, Machakos faces a prolonged season of trench warfare within its assembly.
Speaker Kiusya’s fate now lies in a tangled web of arithmetic, party loyalty, legal safeguards, and political grandstanding.
Kalonzo’s declaration may have changed the tone of the conversation for now, but unless he or Governor Ndeti can break the stalemate—or strike an unlikely deal with rivals—Machakos is staring at a legislative deadlock that could cripple governance for the remainder of the term.
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