Monday, January 17, 2011

Kosgei’s move serves her well politically


 
By KWENDO OPANGAPosted Saturday, January 15 2011 at 17:44
In Summary
  • Raila now on the defensive, fighting the debilitating tag of tormentor of prominent Kalenjin personalities

I do not agree that Dr Sally Kosgei quit her job as Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament because of tribal reasons.
I want to argue that the timing of her resignation unfortunately lumps her with Mr Henry Kosgey, Mr William Ruto, Mr Joshua Kutuny and Mr Isaac Ruto.
I also want to argue that, fortunately for her, in political terms the resignation and the timing of it could be interpreted to mean that, finally, she has come good, shaken off the shackles of the anti-Kalenjin forces in her party and stood shoulder to shoulder with the leading lights of her community for the community.
May I also argue that Dr Kosgei’s resignation came as a godsend to the political enemies of Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
They can now confidently claim they have got on their side one of the PM’s most treasured assets which must mean the PM’s reputation and standing among the Kalenjin is in free fall. Here we go.
Dr Kosgei, a controversy-eschewing academic and diplomat, never really was comfortable in her role as Deputy Leader of Government Business in Parliament.
First, she saw it as a prefect’s role for which she was not suited and which deprived her of quality time to spend on her increasingly demanding docket of Minister for Agriculture.
Second, she may have been uneasy about constant sniping by supporters of Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi that the job should have gone to their man given that President Kibaki had appointed the Vice-President, his principal assistant, to the senior slot.
The DPM’s supporters thought it was unfair for Prime Minister Raila Odinga to have passed over Mudavadi.
Third, Dr Kosgei knew that her being Deputy Leader of Government Business and also Raila’s choice to replace Mr William Ruto at Kilimo House were read among her Kalenjin people as endorsement as kingpin in Raila’s bid to shore up his dwindling political fortunes in the Rift Valley. Supping with the enemy is, in an increasingly polarised political arena, a career limiting tag.
Fourth, it is quite possible that Dr Kosgei, for professional reasons, found it anathema to deputise for Mr Kalonzo Musyoka. A former Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a former Head of the Public Service and a former High Commissioner to London (the Court of St James), she must regard herself qualified to lead the House docket.
Last, which could well be first, I believe the politics of sugar in Kakamega County may have proved the last straw that broke Dr Kosgei’s resistance to the inner voice that had been asking her to quit the Deputy Leader’s role in Parliament.
Unfortunately for the PM and fortunately for his detractors, his office is caught up in the unseemly conflict between the Butali and West Kenya sugar factories.
Contrary to the law, the Kenya Sugar Board licensed Butali to operate, then turned around and de-licensed it.
The PM’s office waded in to stop the mill, which meant it was Dr Kosgei to do the dirty work which earned her abuse from Cabinet colleague Soita Shitanda and Ikolomani MP Bonny Khalwale and angry farmers and youth demonstrating in support of Butali Sugar Factory.
Then, suddenly, Mudavadi announced that the mill was to be opened. Dr Kosgei found herself with egg all over her face!
Having cleaned up after the PM and then sidestepped, she had to find a way of having her own back! Her move dovetailed perfectly with what is going on in Kalenjin politics and her Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
It came at a time when news was breaking that Ruto (William) and Kosgey were set to quit as deputy party leader and chairman respectively.
Her standing among the Kalenjin was enormously boosted. Whichever way you look at it, it is as I observed here some time back; Raila and the Kalenjin parted company irrevocably.
Again, whichever way you look at it, as I say, Ruto’s propaganda machine has outfought and outwitted Raila’s. The PM has, therefore, been forced on the defensive, fighting off the debilitating, yet undeserved, label of tormentor of the prominent Kalenjin personalities and community.

Back to Dr Kosgei. Now that she has time on her hands, I expect to see her going around the country assessing the rising food insecurity vis-à-vis Kutuny’s claims that there is a maize glut but no market for it.
Of course, she will be happy that her resignation has served her well politically. Yes, of course, she would want to keep it that way.
The writer is a media consultant diplospeak@yahoo.com

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