RAILA VS KAINO

Prime Minister Raila Odinga and nine Cabinet ministers on Saturday led several MPs in advocating support for the proposed constitution.

Mr Odinga, who visited Eldoret East, South and North constituencies, said some leaders who were opposing the document were only looking at four chapters when the draft has 18 chapters and 263 clauses.

“They are only criticising sections dealing with the kadhis’ courts, abortion, devolution and land,” the PM said at Chebelio Youth Centre in Eldoret East, Kesses in Eldoret South and 64 Stadium in Eldoret North constituencies.

Mr Odinga, accompanied by Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, said the country was in the mood for change and could not wait any longer.

He said Agenda 4 of the national accord, which restore peace after the post-election violence, was important and included the writing of a new constitution.

Wildly cheering crowds greeted the PM as he addressed huge rallies at all the venues and along the Eldoret-Nakuru Road.

He said controversial kadhis’ courts only dealt with civil law issues relating to the Muslim faith and would not interfere with those in other religions.

“The proposed constitution is good, and we are urging you to vote Yes during the referendum,” he said.

He said governors would be elected to replace provincial commissioners, and senators would also occupy a different chamber.

Mr Odinga did not mention Agriculture minister William Ruto, one of his leading critics, during his speeches. However, he thanked voters for overwhelmingly voting for him in 2007.

He said poor leadership had led to the slow pace of the country’s growth, adding that at Independence, the country was at par with South Korea which now is almost 40 per cent economically better off than Kenya.

The new constitution would play a big role in leadership, he said, adding that it was now time for change, and the changes should start immediately.

Ministers who accompanied the PM included Dr Sally Kosgei, Henry Kosgey, Joe Nyagah, Fred Gumo, Paul Otuoma, James Orengo, Otieno Kajwang and Professor Anyang Nyong’o.

Professor Margaret Kamar (Eldoret East) was the first to host the team, but Eldoret South MP Peris Simam and Mr Ruto did not attend.

Mr Mudavadi and Dr Kosgei said problems started in ODM during the election of the chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on the constitution.

They said the choice was between Mr Mudavadi and Mr Ruto.

Mr Mudavadi said he pulled out of the race in favour of Mr Ruto, but they still could not defeat the PNU team.

He said the document borrowed heavily from the Naivasha talks and asked leaders not to deny it. They said issues to do with regions were in the document at the time it was tabled in Naivasha.

This differs with Mr Ruto’s views. He said recently that they introduced the regions at Naivasha. Mr Orengo went through some sections of the draft constitution saying that land issues had been adequately addressed.

He said the proposed constitution placed land under the counties which would be directly in charge.

“In the current Constitution the President and Commissioner of Lands are the only people with sweeping powers over land matters and can declare to allocate as they wish,” he added.

Mr Kosgey said many Kalenjin youths were shot by security officers during the clashes, but no one was talking about compensating them. He said most members of the community sought refuge in the homes of relatives homes because it was not in their culture to stay in camps.

“If you are compensating people who lost property, why don’t you also do the same for those who were killed?” he said.

He said they wanted to bring change in the country and that Kenyans would have a better life than now. He told the prime minister not to be threatened, adding that the community was behind him.

The minister said ODM had advocated a three-tier government with eight regions modeled along the current provincial boundaries.

He said some leaders defeated this and later celebrated saying that they now had a deal because of removing the regions.

Initially there were unconfirmed reports that Mr Odinga would be made a Kalenjin elder, but this did not happen.

Earlier on Friday the differences in ODM played out when the PM and Marakwet West MP Bethwel Kaino said Mr Odinga had not fulfilled his campaign promises.

After listening to few local leaders at Moi Girls’ Kapsowar Secondary school soon after he disembarked from his helicopter, the Prime Minister cut short Mr Kaino’s remarks.

The disappointed Marakwet West MP had claimed that since the PM assumed leadership in the coalition government, there was not a single promise he had addressed, from the poor state of roads and the issuance of title deeds to the plight of squatters and the upgrading of a health center in the district.

“We voted ODM as block in the 2007, and we have stood with you despite the Ruto wave in the region, but you have not honoured any single promise” Mr Kaino said before the Prime Minister, ODM Chairman Henry Kosgey, and Medical Services minister Prof Nyang Nyong’o and Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi.

Little did he realise that his party leader would humour none of the grievances as Mr Odinga said: “You are always in Nairobi, and you have never bothered to come to my office nor the minister for Medical Services Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o to raise there, only to champion here with locals yet you are the leader,” asked the PM.

“Yours are crocodile tears. Hiyo sio ungwana hata kidogo (That’s is not courteous at all). Some of the issues you raised could have been addressed at the District Development Committee Meeting while you can present others and follow up as a leader” said Mr Odinga.

On issues related to employment in the civil service and appointments to government parastatals that Mr Kaino had claimed to have been unfairly distributed, the PM said there were scarcely enough vacancies in the grand coalition government to satisfy all the demand.