WHY RUTO WAS REMOVED

Prime Minister Raila Odinga has put ODM rebels on notice with a warning that MPs who vote against the party line will face disciplinary action. In an interview with the Sunday Nation, Mr Odinga explained the rationale behind the mid-week Cabinet reshuffle that saw his rival William Ruto moved from Agriculture to the less prestigious Ministry of Higher Education in a move widely seen as aimed at reasserting the PM’s authority in his party.

Mr Odinga said the changes were aimed at restoring discipline. “Government is like a corporation. There should be a clear chain of command and an element of order. You cannot make progress if people are pulling in different directions. That is the primary concern the President and I had in effecting the changes.”

The PM dismissed claims that the changes, in which Mr Ruto’s close ally Charles Keter was dismissed as Energy assistant minister, were linked to the pair’s support for the No campaign in the upcoming referendum on the proposed constitution. “That is far-fetched,” he said. “We are democrats. People are free to express dissent. We will not punish anyone because they hold contrary views.”

In the first reshuffle since the grand coalition government was formed in early 2008, Dr Sally Kosgei took Mr Ruto’s job at Kilimo House while another ally of the PM, Kiprono Magerer, was appointed assistant minister for Energy. On the PNU side, President Kibaki appointed two new assistant ministers, Kazungu Kambi and Wilfred Ombui. The changes were the culmination of months of shadow boxing between Mr Odinga and Mr Ruto who have had strained relations since the coalition was formed.

In February, the PM suspended Mr Ruto and Education minister Sam Ongeri after the two were adversely mentioned in corruption scandals. President Kibaki reversed the suspensions in a move seen as a humiliating setback for the PM. Mr Ruto has since cultivated good relations with State House and has been seen as increasingly close to Finance minister Uhuru Kenyatta, a key ally of President Kibaki.

Mr Ruto’s political star appears to have dimmed somewhat after the President and Mr Odinga re-established a close relationship in their bid to enact a new constitution, a project that Mr Kibaki in particular is said to view as an opportunity to define his legacy in the sunset years of his political career.

That development appears to have been bad news for Mr Ruto. Impeccable sources told the Sunday Nation Mr Odinga made his suggestions for a reshuffle in his wing of the coalition several weeks ago, but the decision to go ahead with the changes was taken after head of Public Service Francis Muthaura set up a meeting between the principals on Wednesday morning.

State House dispatched a statement to newsrooms after the meeting in which the two men conferred without aides. Speaking to the Sunday Nation later, Mr Odinga said his relationship with Mr Kibaki was “good but could be better”. “The personal relationship between us is cordial and smooth. When there is a problem we meet and resolve it. But we lead different political movements, and sometimes partisan issues come between us. He has his team, and I have my team. Sometime there is competition between the various sides, and sometimes our interests do not converge, but there are no substantive differences between us at all,” he said.

In a veiled reference to Mr Ruto, Mr Odinga said some people had attempted to take advantage of what they saw as difficulties in the relationship between him and the President but he said those efforts had not succeeded. He also denied claims by allies of Mr Ruto that he had intended to sack the minister, only to be thwarted by the President. “That is cheap propaganda. The national accord is very clear that if I want to sack a minister in my wing of the party, I simply need to notify the President,” he said.

While the PM had an accommodating tone when discussing Mr Ruto, with whom he said he has no “policy differences,” he pointed out that ODM would be more vigilant in future to ensure MPs do not vote outside the party line. “Sometimes people are allowed to vote with their conscience. But on matters on which the party has taken a position, those people who vote against the party are demonstrating indiscipline.

That is how it works in the House of Commons and in other Commonwealth jurisdictions. We have not invoked the whip so far. We have been fairly lenient. “In future I do not think we will be as lenient as we have been. If a member feels strongly about an issue, it is only fair that he comes to the party leadership and explains himself rather than simply voting against the party,” he said.

Mr Odinga dismissed critics like Chepalungu MP Isaac Ruto who have accused him of turning against the Kalenjin who heavily backed him at the last General Election. “Every single issue they have raised is laced with mischief and half truths. They said I did not fight for the release of youths who were arrested following the violence. Those who were in Cabinet will tell you I raised the issue ... It is only that as PM I could not go on roof tops to proclaim this.

“On the issue of the Mau, they all know that this was a decision of Cabinet and Parliament and that the PM’s office was merely coordinating. It is the same with the Waki report, which was passed by Parliament. The same people who dismissed me when I called for a local tribunal now accuse me of working with (ICC chief prosecutor Luis Moreno) Ocampo, yet I do not even know who is in the secret envelope,” he said. The PM said it was “impossible” to achieve consensus on the draft constitution, since only a change to the Review Act could achieve that and nobody could convince 145 MPs to support changes.