Moi Disrupted

Police had a difficult time stopping ‘Yes’ supporters from disrupting a ‘No’ rally at Suswa in Narok District on Wednesday.

It was the most determined attempt so far to interfere with a rival’s rally in a campaign that is getting more tense and bad-natured as the August 4 referendum nears.

Police officers were forced to create a buffer zone between the two groups, with ‘Yes’ supporters, led by nominated councillor Lydiah Ntimama vowing that the ‘No’ team, led to the meeting by Higher Education minister William Ruto and retired President Moi, will not have their meeting at the venue.

“Tell Moi and Ruto to keep off our land, it is a sacred shrine and we won’t allow anybody to desecrate it,” a charged Ms Ntimama told area police officer Isaac Odumbe.

Several lorry-loads of police officers were poured in the area to ensure there was no confrontation. But there was a near-stampede when Mr Moi arrived shortly after 1pm. ‘Yes’ supporters, who had been watching the proceedings from a distance, charged towards the dais waving green scarves and chanting slogans.

Police moved quickly and stopped the hecklers, who regrouped and waved placards. “Moi failed to give us a constitution for 24 years” and “Who grabbed Mau?” read some of the placards.

Mr Moi and Mr Ruto later addressed the rally. Cabinet minister Samuel Poghisio and MPs Jebii Kilimo, Jackson Kiptanui, Mithika Linturi, Moses Lessonet, Benjamin Lang’at, Joshua Kutuny, Victor Munyaka, Peter Kiilu and Julius Kones also spoke.

National Heritage minister William ole Ntimama had threatened to storm the historic Suswa grounds and stop the “No” meeting. But speakers at the meeting dismissed Mr Ntimama’s threat as the kicks of a “dying horse”.

“They had vowed we shall not come to Suswa, but we have come,” Mr Ruto told the rally. He criticised the government for using civil servants and taxpayers’ money to campaign for the proposed constitution.

Mr Ruto, the de facto leader of the ‘No’ group, accused Mr Ntimama of giving away the Mau forest land, then turning around to accuse others of taking away the Maasai’s land. “It is Ntimama who dished out the Mau, the way he wants to dish out your heritage by saying ‘Yes’. We want to live peacefully in the Rift Valley,” said Mr Ruto.

He dismissed the ‘Yes’ team as having ran out of ideas to market the draft constitution, hence they were using their rallies to attack him and Mr Moi.

Disrupt rallies

“The ‘Yes’ team has run out of ideas. Instead of organising their own rallies, they organise people to disrupt our meetings and talk about personalities. Let the ‘Yes’ people tell us about the draft; Ruto and Moi are not in the draft. They are simply displaying their simple-mindedness by discussing us,” he said.

He asked civil servants not to “ruin the country” by campaigning instead of serving Kenyans. “This is the first time such a thing is happening in Kenya,” Mr Ruto said.

Mr Moi asked the Maasai to reject the draft, saying, it threatened their land rights. “Your survival lies in the Maasai Mara, and if tourism is killed, you will have nothing to support yourselves with,” said Mr Moi.

The former President, who spoke last, argued that the draft was full of chapters which were not good for the country. He warned the government against using civil servants. “You should be impartial as the constitution we are trying to make is for all Kenyans.”

Mr Moi said he was confident his side would win and asked the Maasai to be vigilant on voting day so their rights are “not stolen”.

And Mr Poghisio accused the government of rigging “by compromising security” and using civil servants to campaign. “The government has sensed defeat. That is why they are now using guerrilla tactics. It is not right for the government to instruct the Provincial Administration, permanent secretaries and parastatal chiefs to help shore up their sinking ship,” he said.

“Right now there is no civil service. When they instruct civil servants to close offices and go out to campaign, who will serve Kenyans?” asked Mr Linturi. Mrs Kilimo said that if the proposed draft became law, it would set off an influx of foreigners because “it has cheapened citizenship.”

The meeting was convened by former Narok South MP Stephen ole Ntutu and United Democratic Movement secretary-general Martin ole Kamwaro, both leading ‘No’ figures in the area.