MAU AND ODM

Prime Minister Raila Odinga started his two-day tour of Coast Province Saturday with a series of marathon meetings as he moves to consolidate his support in the region.

The PM received a warm welcome from local leaders, who lined up to welcome him on his arrival at the Moi International Airport, Mombasa Friday evening.

Mr Odinga was also entertained by a troupe of traditional dancers.

He hosted a meeting of 23 MPs from the arid and semi arid areas at the Continental Hotel that included three ministers from across the political divide Saturday morning.

Special Programmes minister Naomi Shaban, Mohammed Kuti (Livestock Development) and the minister for Northern Kenya and Other Arid Lands Mohammed Elmi were at the meeting that mainly dwelt on conservation issues.

Mr Odinga said that the fight for conservation of the environment was for posterity.

"When you remove people from government forest, some people start crying that you are hurting them," said the PM.

Also present was ODM vice chairman Aden Duale, who only last week joined Agriculture minister William Ruto, at a rally in Mombasa, in vilifying the PM over the Mau evictions, and ODM-Kenya's David Musila.

In an apparent reference to the Ruto-led group of Rift Valley MPs, Mr Odinga wondered why leaders were crying wolf and opposing his efforts to conserve the environment and in particular the Mau Forest.

Mr Kuti and Dr Shaban were among ten ministers and more than 50 MPs who attended a fundraiser for the Mau evictees organised by Mr Ruto. The occasion was turned into a political forum to bash Mr Odinga for removing squatters from the country's largest water tower.

He later attended a meeting of ODM's National Executive Council at the Wild Waters Hotel that is expected to come up with a common party position on the harmonised draft constitution.

At least ten Cabinet ministers were present at the deliberations in a show of solidarity with Mr Odinga. They were: Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, Mr James Orengo (Lands), Joe Nyanga (Cooperatives), Dalmas Otieno (Public Service), Fred Gumo (Regional Development), Otieno Kajwang (Immigration), Sally Kosgey (Higher Education), Henry Kosgey (Industrialisation), Anyang Nyong'o (Medical Services), Amason Kingi (East Africa Community) and Paul Otuoma (Fisheries). Deputy House Speaker Farah Maalim was also in attendance.

Also present were: MPs Elizabeth Ongoro, Rachael Shebesh, Ramadhan Kajembe, Alfred Sambu , Hassan Ali Joho, who is also the ODM organising secretary and party vice chair Aden Duale.

However, Rift MPs opposed to the PM gave the meeting a wide berth with notable absentees Pentagon members William Ruto and Najib Balala.

Later in the day, the PM will meet with Muslim leaders before hosting ODM Coast delegates and councillors at the same hotel.


He will host a cocktail of ODM MPs in the evening.

Mr Odinga will hold a breakfast meeting Sunday morning ahead of a rally at Tononoka Grounds in Tourism minister Najib Balala's Mvita constituency.

Mr Balala, who has also criticised Mr Odinga over the Mau evictions, is in the North Rift to attended a cultural event hosted by his ministry.

Rift MPs are in Pokot for a rally that will hosted by Information minister Samuel Poghisio in his Kapenguria constituency, where both Mr Ruto an Mr Balala are expected.

The Mau evictions have ignited a war of words between Mr Odinga on one hand and Rift Valley MPs on the other with the latter accusing the PM of carrying out resettlement in an inhumane manner.

The MPs say that people evicted from the forest are living in deplorable conditions with ministers Ruto adding that there was no Cabinet decision that people will be "dumped at the roadside."