KALONZO ANGRY

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka is an angry man over Saturday’s humiliation at ‘Yes’ launch rally in Uhuru Park and claims it was a scheme Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s party.

Kalonzo, who was under attack over what was perceived to be his indecision on ‘Yes’ and ‘No’, claims National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS) forewarned him about the hostile crowd. He also revealed he was toying with the idea of avoiding sharing a campaign platform with Raila and taking the President’s Party of National Unity — to which his ODM-Kenya is an affiliate — into crusading for the same ‘Yes’ in separate rallies.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga


Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka


"We need political hygiene. We should not pollute these rallies... we are consulting and thinking of going different directions. We think it is decent that way," said the Mwingi North MP.

He also termed the incident "backward democracy devoid of decorum and tolerance."

He added: "We know from Intelligence that all this was planned. We all know it was planned. I want you to know it was planned."

Raila declined to respond to Kalonzo’s accusations when journalists sought his comments on Sunday morning. "Let us not take that road," Raila added as he evaded the question after prayers at All Saints Cathedral.

However the PM, who was the first leader to declare he would campaign for the Proposed Constitution, was emphatic the VP was free to hold separate rallies to promote it.

He was emphatic the Grand Coalition partners support it and sanctioned separate and joint rallies because, "you all cannot be in the same place at the same time."

Kalonzo also insisted he was in ‘Yes’ despite William Ruto’s claims in Machakos on Saturday that the VP was secretly with him in ‘No’ side.

Stood aside

Last Tuesday Kibaki and Raila the leadership of leadership of 23 political parties affiliated to the ruling coalition to strategise how to roll back the ‘No’ campaign, and interestingly, after the meeting the President let the PM brief the nation on their resolve as he and Kalonzo stood aside. It appears the President was sending the message he and Raila were in the driver’s seat of the ‘Yes’ campaign.

On Friday Raila was not at Kenyatta International Conference Centre for the ‘Yes’ talks with Kenya’s 4,500 civic leaders during which Kibaki was heckled by the councillors demanding higher pay in reciprocation for their ‘Yes’ vote.

Speaking on Saturday night before boarding a plane to Iran, a bitter Kalonzo described the crowd at the ‘Yes’ rally as similar to ODM’s campaign meetings and lamented it reminded him of the similar heckling at Khadija Grounds in Mombasa in 2007 campaigns.

He was at the time still in ODM-Kenya with Raila and the Orange team — made up of Cabinet ministers Musalia Mudavadi, William Ruto, Najib Balala and Charity Ngilu — but after the catcalls and jeers hastened the Raila-Kalonzo falling out.

Not long after Raila and his team abandoned ODM-Kenya for Kalonzo and walked to a new home — ODM.

On Saturday, like at Khadija Grounds three years ago, the crowd that was hostile to Kalonzo, forcing him to cut short his speech, applauded and gave Raila standing ovation when he took the microphone to say the momentum gained by the proposed law was unstoppable.

"You do not need a PhD to know who was behind this (heckling). You would have forgiven if you thought it was an ODM rally,’’ said a distraught Kalonzo.

Though the PM appeared to be cautious either not to be seen to be getting sucked into Kalonzo’s claim or to appear to be lending credence to the perception created and risk splitting the ‘Yes’ team, he dared Kalonzo to move on. He also downplayed perception there was a new tug of war between them.

In between the two whose silent rivalry is threatening to split the ‘Yes’ team and undermine its campaign against the combined force of the Church and a political group led by Higher Education Minister Mr William Ruto, is President Kibaki.

Like in 2008, when the Raila-Kalonzo simmering supremacy contest exploded manifested itself in the 2008’s protocol wars over who should speak last and welcome the President to speak at public functions, the Head of State appears to be playing safe.

The last time he appeared to take sides, writing to the Speaker instructing him Kalonzo was the Chairman of House Business Committee Leader of Government Business, Raila protested and Mr Kenneth Marende, dismissed the President’s letter as an outrage to the coalition’s founding principle of consultation.

Marende then took over the position with the rider he would remain on the seat until the President and PM forward one name for the position.

Limited logistics

Raila on his part explained the partners "will allow others to hold separate rallies" to cut cost and maximise on limited logistics, adding that the impressive turnout on Saturday was evidence that "the people of Kenya are desirous of a new law."

He also dismissed claims he was rallying support for the proposed charter for political gain and added ODM and PNU were united behind ‘Yes’. "This unity is not about 2012 elections. This is a unity of purpose to ensure the people of Kenya get a new constitution," he added.

"We have agreed we are going to have joint rallies and also separate rallies for greater nationwide reach," he revealed.

And ODM-K Chairman Samuel Poghisio has said his party resolved that their members should vote with their conscience in the Proposed Constitution.

He said at no time has the party resolved to support the document pointing out that those saying so were not being truthful.

"It is not true ODM-K resolved to support the document that is why am in the ‘No’ camp with several people from the party while my party leader the Vice President is in the ‘Yes’," he added.

Poghisio hit out at proponents of the Proposed Constitution accusing them of being intolerant.

But ODM Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo responded: "Kalonzo is not serious about his support for the Katiba as he wants to be on both sides which is not possible."