Friday, January 14, 2011

Kalenjin MPs ready to ditch Raila party

By Biketi Kikechi

MPs from the Kalenjin community have finalised plans for their separation with Prime Minister Raila Odinga, following a series of secret meetings, and after declaring they were through with him.
Though they technically remain in the Orange Democratic Movement Party (ODM) to avoid being forced to seek a fresh mandate, the notice of final separation with the party will come through the relinquishing of national party posts by Kalenjin MPs holding them. This is timed to precede ODM’s grassroots elections set for March.
To set the ball rolling, Mr Henry Kosgey, in whose house the MPs met this week, will quit as ODM chairman, and Eldoret North MP William Ruto as co-deputy Chairman.
Already, Agriculture Minister Sally Kosgei has written to the PM asking to be released from her position as deputy leader of Government business in Parliament. Also giving up his post is Ainamoi MP Benjamin Lagat, the deputy organising secretary.
Though Dr Kosgei in her letter reportedly cited pressure and workload at her ministry as the reason she wanted to quit the post, sources reveal it is part of a strategy to vent off perception in the community she is one of the few leading politicians Raila is left with among Kalenjins.
It is believed her advisors are worried she may suffer the community’s backlash against Raila from the time she was handpicked to take over Ruto’s portfolio by the PM, last year. Her position as Deputy Leader of Government Business was regarded as further indication of the role Raila wants her to play in his wing of the ruling coalition.
The meeting at the Tinderet MP’s house on Monday was couched as an expression of sympathy and solidarity with him following his being charged in court, subsequent exit from Government, and also his being on the list of Ocampo Six. Ruto, who also like Kosgey is on Ocampo list and is out of Cabinet because of a court case, led the team to the home of the former Industrialisation minister.
What is not clear is the position taken by two ministers from the community: Prof Hellen Sambili (East African Community) and Mr Franklin Bett (Roads). Prof Sambili was at Kosgey’s home, and is a member of the United Democratic Movement (UDM) party, an affiliate of ODM, but to which the majority of Kalenjin MPs are expected to move to later.

"She wrote complaining that Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka was overburdening her because he is never available to chair meetings, yet she has a very busy field docket at Ministry of Agriculture," said Onyango.
Represent the party
According to him, the PM has not acted on the letter because he needs a strong person to represent the party on the committee.
But MPs allied to Ruto told The Standard her resignation was among the issues the MPs discussed when they met at Kosgey’s residence on Monday. She was not among the 15 MPs who attended the meeting, which lasted between 9am to 1pm, but her Cabinet colleagues Mr Samuel Poghisio and Prof Sambili were present.
Curiously, two MPs from North Eastern will also be forfeiting their posts.
"All officials from North Eastern, Upper Eastern, Coast and parts of Western are contemplating their next move, and may follow suit very soon," said an MP from North Eastern who holds a senior position in the party.
Earlier yesterday, a UDM insider told The Standard they were expecting all Rift Valley MPs to move to the party in the next few weeks.
"We are also in consultations with Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa, Tourism Minister Najib Balala and Northern Kenya MPs," said the UDM official.
Kosgey’s resignation as chairman will be a blow to Raila because he was the one holding the fort for him in the Rift Valley against Ruto’s wave.
Ruto has already declared he will fight to stop Raila from leading the country, and it now appears locking him out of Rift Valley is his first step.
Asked why they were turning the guns on Raila, the MPs claimed the PM worked for the indictment of Rift leaders over the post-election violence at the ICC. They also alleged he was not grateful for the support they gave him in 2007. Ruto and Raila also fell out over the Mau Forest evictions, which largely affected members of Kalenjin community.
Kosgey’s supporters have argued Raila’s failure to defend him when he was accused over the importation of old cars confirmed their fears that he had no time for him in the party.
They also claimed Kosgey was not told he was among those to be indicted by ICC Prosecutor Luis Moreno Ocampo, yet the PM appeared to have been privy to the information.
ODM leaders on the other hand have responded to the biggest challenge the party has faced since 2008 by announcing grassroots elections in March. The four-day exercise begins on March 5, and is expected to give way to the national delegates conference slated for April 8-9 at the Bomas of Kenya.
A meeting of the Election Board yesterday agreed the grassroots election will begin at location level, then proceed to the constituency and eventually at the county level.
Raila, who sources said made attempts to reach Kosgey on Wednesday, attended the meeting together with his other deputy Musalia Mudavadi and Elections Board Chairman Philip Okundi. The PM asked the Elections Board to conduct thorough vetting of candidates seeking posts.
Bitter exchanges
Yesterday, MPs allied to Ruto announced separation with the Raila group had come after many months of bitter exchanges. Mount Elgon MP Fred Kapondi and Jackson Kiptanui (Keiyo South) did not attend the meeting, but confirmed they received the invitation. "Kenyans are watching with a lot of interest the unfolding scenario. In my opinion, Raila’s quest for the Presidency is as good as dead," said Kapondi.
Kiptanui argued Raila should read the signs of the times in relation to his association with the Kalenjins adding the community was angered that three of their leading members had been sacrificed as "party representatives in the ICC list".
Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny argued Dr Kosgei’s resignation as Kalonzo’s deputy in Parliament was a big blow to Raila and signal the Kalenjins were no longer with him. "Sally is a respected MP who has her own way of doing things. If it is true she has resigned, then it is a very tricky situation for ODM and the PM," Kuttuny said.
He confirmed Kalenjin leaders had been consulting to chart a new dispensation away from Raila.
Asked if he was aware of Kosgei’s resignation, Chief Whip Johnstone Muthama denied she had resigned, arguing if that were true, he would have been informed.
-—Additional reporting by Vitalis Kimutai and Beauttah Omanga
Prime Minister Raila Odinga during an Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Election Board meeting at Orange House, Thursday. ODM deputy leader and Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi was also in attendance. [PHOTO: PMPS/STANDARD]
The PM’s communications director Dennis Onyango acknowleged Kosgei wrote asking to be allowed to relinquish her position in the House.

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