Kalonzo Musyoka Takes on Ruto and Mudavadi Over Push for Referendum
By Malticks - December 30, 2025
Speaking on Tuesday, December 30, during a press briefing titled “Reflections of 2025 and the Urgency of 2026”, Kalonzo accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of using constitutional changes to advance political interests instead of strengthening democratic institutions.
Kalonzo said President Ruto should first focus on fully implementing the 2010 Constitution, despite having opposed it at the time it was adopted.
According to him, the President has no excuse for failing to respect a legal framework that now supports his leadership.
“Let me be very clear to Mr. Ruto: implement the Constitution of Kenya and obey the rule of law,” Kalonzo said.
“Let me be very clear to Mr. Ruto: implement the Constitution of Kenya and obey the rule of law,” Kalonzo said.
“Even if you opposed it back then, today you are its guardian. You must protect it, not bend it.”
The Wiper leader added that the same Constitution Ruto once rejected is the one that shielded him during the strained final years of the Jubilee administration.
The Wiper leader added that the same Constitution Ruto once rejected is the one that shielded him during the strained final years of the Jubilee administration.
Kalonzo noted that former President Uhuru Kenyatta could not remove Ruto from office without going through a complex impeachment process which required numbers in Parliament—something Ruto’s allies had.
“This Constitution actually served Mr. Ruto very well,” he said.
“This Constitution actually served Mr. Ruto very well,” he said.
“When Uhuru would have wanted to dismiss him, the law protected him.”
Kalonzo’s remarks were sparked by Musalia Mudavadi’s recent call for a constitutional referendum to be held alongside the 2027 elections.
Kalonzo’s remarks were sparked by Musalia Mudavadi’s recent call for a constitutional referendum to be held alongside the 2027 elections.
Mudavadi said the vote would help Kenyans settle long-debated issues such as entrenching the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) in law and officially recognising the Leader of the Opposition.
He proposed that the referendum question should be added as the seventh ballot, arguing that voters would already be participating in a major national exercise.
But Kalonzo dismissed the plan, warning that combining the referendum with the elections could confuse voters and be used to sneak in controversial amendments.
“Imagine the burden already placed on voters,” Kalonzo said. “Six ballots—MCA, MP, Women Representative, Senator, Governor, and President—and now they want to add a seventh one. Where else in the world is this done?”
He insisted that there is no national crisis that justifies rushing into a referendum, saying that existing constitutional mechanisms have not been exhausted.
“The legal avenue is Parliament,” he said.
He proposed that the referendum question should be added as the seventh ballot, arguing that voters would already be participating in a major national exercise.
But Kalonzo dismissed the plan, warning that combining the referendum with the elections could confuse voters and be used to sneak in controversial amendments.
“Imagine the burden already placed on voters,” Kalonzo said. “Six ballots—MCA, MP, Women Representative, Senator, Governor, and President—and now they want to add a seventh one. Where else in the world is this done?”
He insisted that there is no national crisis that justifies rushing into a referendum, saying that existing constitutional mechanisms have not been exhausted.
“The legal avenue is Parliament,” he said.
“The Constitution clearly states that Kenya must have 290 constituencies. No one can change that through shortcuts.”
Kalonzo criticised the government for what he described as a calculated attempt to manipulate the 2027 electoral environment.
Kalonzo criticised the government for what he described as a calculated attempt to manipulate the 2027 electoral environment.
He argued that the referendum push could be a smokescreen—one that distracts citizens while allowing the state to cement its influence over key institutions.
According to him, the Ruto administration is using the language of reform to make Kenyans accept changes that could weaken accountability systems.
He also criticised the President’s frequent references to transforming Kenya into “the next Singapore”, saying such comparisons do not match the country’s current political and economic realities.
Kalonzo urged Kenyans to stay alert as the country heads into a politically charged year. He said national debates should focus on improving governance, easing economic pressures, and safeguarding democratic freedoms—not opening the Constitution for unnecessary alterations.
He warned that the coming year will be critical, and any attempt to reshape the Constitution must be carefully examined to avoid jeopardising Kenya’s progress.
According to him, the Ruto administration is using the language of reform to make Kenyans accept changes that could weaken accountability systems.
He also criticised the President’s frequent references to transforming Kenya into “the next Singapore”, saying such comparisons do not match the country’s current political and economic realities.
Kalonzo urged Kenyans to stay alert as the country heads into a politically charged year. He said national debates should focus on improving governance, easing economic pressures, and safeguarding democratic freedoms—not opening the Constitution for unnecessary alterations.
He warned that the coming year will be critical, and any attempt to reshape the Constitution must be carefully examined to avoid jeopardising Kenya’s progress.
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