For four months, Makueni Senator Daniel Maanzo has vanished from the side of his party boss, Kalonzo Musyoka. His absence has rattled Ukambani politics. It has also fueled a single, explosive question: Has Dan Maanzo been bought by Ruto?
Once Kalonzo’s loudest defender, Maanzo now keeps a careful distance as President William Ruto pushes to weaken the opposition ahead of the next general election. The silence looks calculated. The timing looks deliberate. And the rumors refuse to die.
The trail of silence and power around Dan Maanzo bought by Ruto?
Daniel Maanzo did not miss one or two functions by accident. He skipped rally after rally. He avoided key opposition meetings. He stayed away as Kalonzo toured the region and spoke to his base. For a man once glued to Kalonzo’s side, the shift looks political, not personal.
Insiders point to November last year. President Ruto planned a crucial Ukambani tour. The visit stalled four times. Poor reception threatened embarrassment. Ruto needed numbers. He also needed opposition figures to soften the ground. That urgency opened a door.
Sources claim Ruto invited Maanzo to State House during the planning phase. They say Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo brokered the meeting. They add that Ruto made an offer Maanzo could not refuse. From that moment, Maanzo’s posture changed.
The Ukambani tour went ahead. It did not flop. Mobilization saved it. Maanzo, Mutula, and Kilome MP Thadeus Nzambia allegedly worked through the night before the visit. They criss-crossed Makueni. They rallied supporters. They paid allowances. They bused crowds to venues. The events filled up. Ruto smiled. The mission succeeded.
Since then, critics argue, Maanzo has stayed close to power and far from Kalonzo.
Claims of cash, capture, and quiet loyalty
The most damaging claim centers on money. Insiders allege State House placed Maanzo on a monthly stipend of Sh500,000, sometimes rising to Sh1 million. The alleged aim looks simple. Keep Maanzo away from Kalonzo. Weaken the opposition from within. Starve Kalonzo of trusted lieutenants in Ukambani.
Ruto reportedly hoped more. He wanted Maanzo to come out openly. He wanted him to sell the “benefits of being in government,” as other compromised opposition figures have done elsewhere. Maanzo has refused to play that role. He has chosen silence. That silence now fuels suspicion.
Ruto’s strategy appears wider. After Kalonzo refused to join government, the President allegedly shifted tactics. He began targeting Kalonzo’s core supporters. Kaiti MP Joshua Kimilu has also disappeared from Kalonzo’s functions. The pattern looks coordinated.
Maanzo’s absence stings the most because of history. He never left Kalonzo’s side before. He defended the opposition in court. He represented activists facing the state. He became the legal face of resistance. Today, those cases hang in the balance. Critics now ask how Maanzo can fight the government while allegedly dining with it.
Governance failures that weaken Maanzo’s defense
Some defenders argue Maanzo simply acted early. They say he expected Kalonzo to join Ruto. When that failed, they say, Maanzo joined government alone. That argument sounds thin when weighed against events on the ground.
Ruto’s Ukambani promises have collapsed. Projects launched with fanfare have turned into empty plaques. Contractors vanished the same day. Machines left before the motorcade cleared. Nothing moved after the cameras left. Local leaders now have nothing to show the people.
That vacuum exposes Maanzo. It also exposes Governor Mutula. Makueni residents complain about misuse of public funds. They point to feeder roads covered with loose stones that wash away with rain. They see murram without compaction. They see money wasted.
As senator, Maanzo should oversee the governor. He has not. He has kept quiet. On health, he has stayed silent as Mutula scrapped Kibwana Care, the Sh500 annual health cover that protected families under former governor Kivutha Kibwana. That silence angers voters.
Against this record, Maanzo struggles to claim principle. He cannot point to development wins from government ties. He cannot claim oversight success at home. He cannot explain his absence from Kalonzo’s side.
So the question refuses to fade: Has Dan Maanzo been bought by Ruto? The evidence remains circumstantial. The claims remain unproven. But politics thrives on patterns. And the pattern here looks clear. Maanzo left the opposition space. He entered a quiet alliance with power. He chose silence over loyalty.
Until Maanzo speaks plainly, the suspicion will harden. In politics, absence speaks. Silence confirms. And for many in Ukambani, the verdict already sounds settled.
