Moving ahead, I won’t be running for office in any further elections. Instead, I will seek to bring the Kamba community together, engage with youth, and support the current administration, Prof. Kibwana continued.
The news was met with varied emotions, as Wiper leaders mocked Prof. Kibwana for having to leave active politics after suffering a humiliating loss to Makueni Senator Daniel Maanzo, who was also his law student at the University of Nairobi.
They warned him against emulating Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, who is widely regarded as the neighborhood’s political czar.
Mwengi Mutuse, a Kibwezi West MP, attended Mr. Kyule’s retirement party and congratulated Prof. Kibwana on his decision to leave active politics. A representative of the Maendeleo Chap Chap Party claimed that Prof. Kibwana’s retirement gives him a unique opportunity to advise aspiring leaders. His allies took some time to adjust to the announcement, which they perceived as a buildup to similar actions in recent weeks.
Since then, Prof. Kibwana has ceded control of the Muungano Party, which he had led into the most recent general election. Since then, the party’s leadership has been taken over by businessman and real estate magnate David Masika, who is well-liked in Makueni County.
Prof. Kibwana, a lawyer with experience in the civil rights struggle, made his political debut in 2002 when he was elected Makueni MP. His 20 years in Makueni politics have been marked by a chilly relationship with Mr. Musyoka that is based on ideological opposition.
