Makueni 2027: Mutula–Kaloki Faceoff Sets Stage for Fierce Wiper Battle

By Andrew Mbuva 

The race for Makueni’s gubernatorial seat in 2027 has exploded into the open two years early, pitting Governor Mutula Kilonzo Jnr. against his long-time rival Prof. Philip Kaloki in what promises to be one of the fiercest battles for the Wiper Party ticket.

The two protagonists are no strangers to each other. Kaloki, a seasoned politician, has long harbored gubernatorial ambitions. He ran for the seat in 2022 before being moved to Nairobi to deputize ODM’s Polycarp Igathe in the ill-fated Nairobi gubernatorial race, leaving the Makueni race wide open for Mutula.

Mutula seized the opportunity, riding on Wiper’s popularity in Ukambani to win the seat with relative ease. But as the county heads toward 2027, the silver platter victory of 2022 appears unlikely to repeat itself.

Mutula’s Growing Baggage

Governor Mutula enters the contest carrying heavy political baggage. Despite projecting himself as a loyal Wiper vice-chair, he faces simmering mistrust within the party.

Kibwezi West MP Mwengi Mutuse, a close ally of President William Ruto and member of Maendeleo Chap Chap, has openly accused the governor of “pretending to stand with Kalonzo by day while courting Ruto by night.”

According to Mutuse, Mutula has been secretly engaging with top Kenya Kwanza officials as insurance should the Wiper ticket slip from his grasp.

“Let Governor Mutula not lie to the people. He has been pretending to be with Kalonzo Musyoka by day but at night courting President Ruto,” Mutuse claimed in one his recent Women and Youth empowerment rallies in Makindu.

Further complicating Mutula’s standing are accusations that he is quietly nurturing his own political outfit, with whispers linking him to a shadowy movement branded Kaa ni Kaitu (“He is Our Own”), which is associated with Makueni Assembly Clerk Kevin Mutuku.

Both Mutuku and Assembly Speaker Douglas Mbilu have already signaled their unwavering support for Mutula’s re-election, reinforcing the governor’s claim that he is firmly entrenched at the grassroots.

Assembly Clerk Kevin Mutuku has publicly argued that Mutula deserves an uninterrupted two terms.

“We can do party nominations in all other elective posts, but when it comes to governorship, I don’t think there is any need. Our governor is doing the work he should be doing. He should be allowed to finish his 10 years,” Mutuku said in a recent event attended by the Governor.

The Assembly Speaker Douglas Mbilu echoed the same, likening Mutula to “a trained bull” that the people should not trade away too early. “It is the people of Makueni who want Mutula to be their governor, not the other way round,” he said.

Speaking in a recent local FM interview Governor Mutula, on his part, said he is ready for the Party nominations provided it is comprehensive.

“If Wiper decides to conduct party primaries for the seat of governorship in Makueni, I will insist that the nominations be done across all the 1,192 polling stations that elected me as governor,” he said.

Mutula dismissed talk of him abandoning Wiper or secretly working with President William Ruto as “rumors driven by those seeking to edge him out of the party.”

Still, Mutula’s troubles within Wiper are real. His relationship with some of the party’s elected MPs remains frosty, with Mbooni MP Erastus Kivasu often cited as a prime example.

This disconnect with the county’s Wiper legislators could prove costly in a nomination season where loyalty to Kalonzo Musyoka’s presidential bid is paramount.

Kaloki’s Calculated Return

Prof. Philip Kaloki, on the other hand, has returned to the Makueni stage with a clear message: Wiper must embrace free, fair, and transparent primaries. He has repeatedly challenged Mutula not to seek immunity from internal competition, arguing that no leader should consider themselves “too special” to face the people’s verdict.

Kaloki touts his development record as former chair of the Kenya Medical Training College, claiming credit for opening several campuses across Ukambani.

He contrasts this with Mutula’s administration, which he accuses of neglecting hospitals, running down health services, and abandoning the popular “Kivutha Card” that enabled poor families to access free treatment under former Governor Kivutha Kibwana.

Water shortages, crumbling roads, and stalled development projects, Kaloki argues, are proof that Makueni needs a new governor. This, he insists, is the unfinished mission that will drive his 2027 campaign.

Rose Museo: The Silent Card

Complicating the duel further is the potential entry of Woman Representative Rose Museo. A shrewd grassroots mobilizer, Museo had initially expressed interest in the governorship in 2022 before shelving her ambitions in favor of retaining her seat.

Today, she continues to insist that she will announce her next political move “at the right time,” fueling speculation that she could yet join the fray.

Museo has positioned herself as a voice of reason amid the Mutula–Kaloki brawl, warning that early political spats risk undermining Kalonzo’s 2027 presidential campaign.

 “Let’s be responsible as leaders. Anything that can stir an online spat should be avoided because we have a big agenda ahead, which is making Kalonzo the next president,” she said in a recent local FM interview.

Still, her consistent empowerment programs for women and households have strengthened her local profile, making her a formidable contender should she declare.

Wiper’s Dilemma

The unfolding drama in Makueni is not just a local power struggle—it is a test of Wiper’s cohesion as it rallies behind Kalonzo Musyoka’s fifth stab at the presidency.

Kalonzo himself has emphasized that direct party tickets are a thing of the past, signaling that both Mutula and Kaloki will have to face the ballot in the nominations.

Yet, divisions are already visible. Some party stalwarts like Clerk Mutuku and Speaker Mbilu argue that Mutula deserves a free pass to finish his two terms, while others like Kaloki and his allies insist that internal democracy cannot be compromised.

With six constituencies in the county—five of them held by Wiper MPs—the role of legislators will also be decisive.

Should they fracture between Mutula and Kaloki, the battle risks degenerating into the kind of bruising nomination wars that have historically weakened Wiper in Ukambani.

The Road Ahead

The 2027 Makueni race is shaping up as a litmus test of whether Wiper can balance internal democracy with party unity.

For Mutula, it is about surviving mistrust and proving loyalty to Kalonzo while defending his record. For Kaloki, it is about reclaiming lost ground and presenting himself as the credible alternative. For Museo, it is about timing her move to maximum effect.

What is clear is that Makueni will once again be the theater of Wiper’s most heated nomination contest—a contest that will not only decide the county’s governor but also signal whether Kalonzo’s party can hold together as it seeks national power.