Minister tells ODM rebels to quit at own risk

By Peter Mutai
Roads Minister Franklin Bett has told elected leaders from the Kalenjin community that they risk losing their seats if they ditched the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM).
Mr Bett said the law on political party representation was clear and that anybody who relinquishes his party membership mid way would lose their parliamentary or civic seat.
The Bureti MP said it would not augur well for the country, as the nation was preparing for a General Election in a few months.
"By ditching the party that sponsored you to Parliament or local authority simply means one is dislodging himself or herself as an MP or councillor. These people know very well that they risk going for by-elections if they do so," he added.
Received delegationBett made the remarks when he received a delegation of 19 councillors from three counties in Rift Valley who visited him at his home on Saturday.
The civic leaders supported Bett’s bid to be a running mate to one of the presidential candidates in 2012.
Last week, the minister declared he would offer himself as a running mate to any presidential candidate in next year’s General Election.
on Sunday, he told the delegation that he wants to be available to as many of the presidential candidates, saying the question of what political party he would support was irrelevant now.
"Politics is all about scheming and a sense of manipulation. It has its propaganda and that is my business. I was in that business for more than ten years during former President Moi’s rule," he said.
The councillors from Bomet, Kericho and Nandi counties said they would support Bett.
Led by Nandi Hills Town Council chairman Paul Mugoon and his Bureti County Council counterpart Hellen Chepkwony, they said Bett was free to seek any position in the country’s political leadership.
Mugoon called on members of the community to remain in the Government for the sake of development, saying the community risked losing a lot if it moved out of the Grand Coalition Government.
Most MPs from the region, who are allied to Eldoret North MP William Ruto, have declared they would in time abandon ODM.
Media reports indicate ODM national chairman and Tinderet MP, Henry Kosgey, was weighing his options and could also abandon the party.
The pro-Ruto MPs accuse Prime Minister Raila Odinga of neglecting the community even after it voted overwhelmingly for him in the last General Election.