RAILAPHOBIA

There is a wider scheme in the intrigues about the clandestine sneaking of a clause into the Proposed Constitution, The Standard On Saturday can today reveal.

Our investigations have unearthed a sinister scheme involving powerful politicians and wealthy businessmen who are ready to go to any lengths to ensure they influence the Kibaki succession. The brazen insertion of the offending clause into the Proposed Constitution, which came after sustained pressure on the President to delay the referendum hit a brick-wall, is only a tip of the iceberg.

Multiple sources, who cannot be named because of the sensitivity of the matter that is now under investigation, say many reasons were offered, mainly the alleged need to allow more time for consensus with the Church. However, the real reason was to slow down what this group saw as a resurgent Prime Minister "whom they feared they may not be able to catch up with in the race for 2012."

"There has been a plot to snatch the constitution review momentum from Raila and ODM, derail, stall or kill the whole process," said the source who attended some of the strategy meetings.

"This scheme failed in Naivasha, when a well-oiled joint assault by PNU bigwigs and a renegade ODM faction shot down the flagship ODM agenda about parliamentary system of government and regions as units for devolution.

"This way, they hoped to push the PM against the draft and into the "No" campaign, through which they hoped to portray him as only interested in what he wants regardless of the country’s desire. To their consternation, he embraced the document the PSC produced in Naivasha, and this disoriented everyone," said another source.

It took the anti-Raila group time to recover and re-strategise. Sources point to a secret meeting held in an exclusive hotel on the outskirts of Nairobi on the evening of Thursday, April 22, where several businessmen and influential politicians resolved to slow the roll towards the referendum.

The politicians and businessmen who control huge investments in various sectors agreed to impress on the President to get Wako recommend an extension of the review period, or postponement of the referendum on the grounds of consensus building.

"On April 27, Wako told the President and the group’s representatives what they sought was impossible. The AG also kept Raila updated on the goings on, and his decision not to budge," said close ally to a PNU minister who requested anonymity.

It is after stonewalling with the AG that Plan B was hatched to do something that could provoke Kenyans against the draft to either force a suspension of the process, or significantly turn public sentiment against it to swell the ranks of the ‘"No" side on account of compromised integrity of the process.

According to our sources Wako had no idea about how far these forces were willing to go, until the chairman of the Committee of Experts Nzamba Kitonga and Executive Director Ekuru Aukot invited him to a meeting on the morning of, May 10, where they pointed out to him their discovery of a version of the Proposed Constitution with an illegal insertion.

Wako says he was meant to have travelled out of the country on official duty but the President asked him to cancel it and be around during last week’s visit of the International Criminal Court Chief Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo visit.

"Ocampo was godsend!" exclaimed Wako.

"You can imagine how Kenyans would have reacted had this mischievous deed been identified in my absence," he told The Standard on Saturday.

Wako, former Narok District Commissioner-turned Government Printer Mr Gitonga Rukaria, and NSIS Director Michael Gichangi, have been on the spot.

The Chairman of the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitutional review Mohamed Abdikadir also sees the hand of anti-reformists. "We are alert that anti-reform forces will stop at nothing if we blink. When this is all over, we shall ask serious questions and demand answers," said Abdikadir.

Saboti MP, Mr Eugene Wamalwa called it "unforgivable attack on the will and sovereignty of the people of Kenya, integrity and authority of Parliament." Nairobi lawyer Mr Haroun Ndubi said NSIS had an explanation to make.