Ruto has nothing to fear.
And the President made it clear that local problems are best solved using local institutions — a dig at the PM and his Orange Democratic Movement party for seeking the intervention of the international community over coalition disagreements.
In his traditional way of not answering his political opponents directly, the President said: "Kenyans should trust the leadership of the country and abandon the temptation to look externally for solutions that can easily be found locally." Recently, the Prime Minister penned a letter to the African Union seeking its intervention and that of former Chief Mediator Kofi Annan over sharp disagreements occasioned by Raila’s controversial suspension of two ministers and the subsequent annulment by Kibaki.
Raila had announced the suspension Agriculture Minister William Ruto and his Education counterpart Prof Sam Ongeri over the maize subsidy scandal and loss of more than Sh100 million from the Free Primary Education kitty.
Yesterday, the President said his Government was committed to the fight against corruption but that the war should not be politicised.
Drastic action
This was also in apparent reference to Raila who was widely considered to have taken drastic action against Ruto, his erstwhile ally turned critic within the Orange party.
"In order to win this war, we must apply the law in a manner that is impartial and just. We must also not politicise or personalise the fight against corruption," Kibaki told members amid applause from his party, PNU. At Parliament, the two leaders were meeting for the second time yesterday since their controversial spat over a week ago.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga (left) and President Mwai Kibaki.
Earlier in the morning, Kibaki and Raila met at Harambee House for briefing before the State opening of the Fourth Session of the 10th Parliament. And back at the House, the President stressed the Government’s resolve to deal with corruption — a concern he noted had topped national debate for many years — decisively albeit within the confines of the law. The infighting in ODM, however, continued as sources told The Standard last night that Ruto’s name had been removed from the membership of the powerful House Business Committee that sets the agenda of the House.
The sources said Ruto, who has been a member of the committee since the 10th Parliament was inaugurated, had been replaced with Industrialisation Minister Henry Kosgey, who is also the ODM chairman and a close Raila ally.
In Parliament, Ruto sat at the far left edge of the second last row next to Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni, and could be seen engaging in prolonged foot thumping as the President delivered his speech.
Corruption, President Kibaki said, undermined Government policies, distorted allocation of public resources and gave the country a poor image as well as discouraging investments.
The war against graft had been intensified in the last few months, said the President, adding that the momentum would be accelerated to cover all vulnerable sectors of government. Kibaki directed all anti-corruption agencies to fast-track and conclude pending corruption cases.
He instructed the Judiciary to speed up the trials because quick conclusion of corruption-related cases was a key pillar in this fight.
"The Government is also consulting with the Judiciary on ways of placing a time-frame on the period within which a corruption-related case should be concluded," Kibaki said.
The public service, he added, had been directed to apply the law and regulations firmly and impartially.
Good work
On Constitution review, President Kibaki said the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) had done a good job at the Naivasha retreat.
President Kibaki arrives for the State Opening of Parliament, Tuesday. [PHOTO: TABITHA OTWORI/STANDARD]
"We seem very close to this goal," said Kibaki in reference to the work done by the Committee of Experts.
"We are looking forward to the presentation of a consensus draft Constitution to this august House by the PSC in the next few days."
He said: "This Tenth Parliament has a historic opportunity to rise to the occasion by passing a new Constitution for the Republic of Kenya. We must be successful in this endeavour at this defining moment in our nation’s history".
He urged the House to maintain a national consensus on the new Constitution, and ensure the people of Kenya will stand united during the referendum to be held later this year".
Kibaki said in his nearly half a century as a legislator, "there had not been a Session of Parliament with the potential to bring as much positive change to Kenya as this one".
He told MPs "to shun divisive partisan politics" and "focus on the greater good of our country" a statement seen as a reprimand even to his party PNU that is plotting with rebel ODM members against the PM.
"Whatever differences may arise between us should be amicably resolved in the national interest".
He expressed confidence the House "is up to the task" and that "it will fulfill its national duty and secure a memorable place in history".
The President spelt out the heavy Government legislative agenda to be tabled in the House to speed up reforms. On police reforms, two Bills — Independent Policing Oversight Commission Bill and Police Reforms Bill — are lined up.
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