At a time the Orange Democratic party is basking in the glory of being the most popular party, according to pollsters, the war on corruption has put its leader, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, in a Catch 22 Situation.
The Prime Minister, who has built his political career as a reformist and ardent crusader against graft, has to do the delicate balance of continuing his crusade against corruption without hurting the sensitivities of the party’s grassroots support bases where those under probe come from.
The PM may have gracefully accepted the sacking, resignation and investigations of ODM ministers over corruption.
However, indications the situation may be reaching boiling point came out in the open when a section of ODM MPs cried foul earlier in the week after the resignation of Industrialisation Minister Henry Kosgey over abuse of office. They claimed there was a scheme to finish the party by targeting its leaders under the guise of fighting graft.
 |
| Prime Minister Raila Odinga |
The MPs, among them Mr John Mbadi and Ms Rachel Shebesh, threatened to take the war to Parliament and move a Motion to disband the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC).
The PM is being forced by circumstances to play a delicate balancing act. He must not be seen to be condoning corruption while at the same time avoiding being seen as abandoning or sidelining those caught up in the fight against graft.
So far, two senior ODM officials — Kosgey, who is the party chairman and suspended Higher Education Minister William Ruto, who is deputy party leader, have had to leave Cabinet.
Although Ruto has since fallen out with the PM, his and Kosgey’s presence in the Cabinet gave ODM an aura of strong clout in the Grand Coalition Cabinet, while the PM enjoyed unrivalled affection and popularity in the Kalenjin Rift Valley, where the two hail from.
The Sh283 million-cemetery scam that saw the exit of PS Sammy Kirui from the Ministry of Local Government caused a scare on the other ODM Deputy Party Leader and Deputy PM Musalia Mudavadi but he seems to have been exonerated of any wrongdoing.
A third ODM allied MP and a close ally of the PM, Mr John Harun Mwau, stepped aside a week ago as Trade Assistant Minister over allegations of being associated with narcotics trade in a report compiled by the American Embassy.
An ODM MP, Mr Ali Hassan Joho of Kisauni constituency and the party’s national organising secretary, was also mentioned as one of the people being investigated over narcotics trade.
The Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) is also breathing down Water Development Minister and ODM Pentagon member Charity Ngilu’s neck over integrity questions raised by her immediate former Assistant Minister, Mwangi Kiunjuri.
As a co-principal in the Grand Coalition, the PM is keen not to be viewed by both voters and the international community as condoning graft.
Raila, whom opinion polls have shown is ahead of the pack seeking to run for presidency in 2012, has seen his international profile rise following his appointment recently as African Union’s mediator in the Ivory Coast crisis.
The recent publication of secret US cables claiming both President Kibaki and Raila are an impediment to reform did not augur well with the Prime Minister’s party.
Condemning Ranneberger’s confidential reports to Washington painting Kenya as "a swamp of corruption", ODM Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo said: "The American ambassador could have done better than sending mixed signals to Washington about Nairobi. For instance, two years ago he had already endorsed President Kibaki as the winner of 2007 elections. A year later, he is condemning him as presiding over a corruption swamp. What has changed?" Midiwo posed.
Midiwo was among MPs who supported a Motion to demand an immediate recall of the American Ambassador from Nairobi.
The war on corruption by KACC and the stepping aside and arraignment in court of Kosgey has also sparked political tension between ODM and PNU.
It’s a replica of last year’s dying months, when PNU and ODM had differences on the number of constituencies to be created.
Political pundits caution it is a wrong start for MPs in a year loaded with expectations on constitutional implementation, solving of the ICC crisis and the fight against corruption.
Legal and political experts had predicted politics may intensify and slow down the implementation of the new Constitution.
University of Nairobi political scientist Adams Oloo had predicted there would be a lot of infighting between the two coalitions as they position themselves for a power contest next year.
"There will be a lot of propaganda against each other as the two coalition partners scheme and plot against each other," Dr Oloo added.
Ford-People Secretary General Francis Opar says politics should be kept out of national issues if the country has to move ahead.
"We should not read politics in a noble exercise like fighting corruption just for the sake of serving party interests," Dr Opar said.
The ODM MPs had alleged that KACC Director PLO Lumumba was reluctant to prosecute President Kibaki’s allies and ministers from PNU implicated in grand corruption.
"We know when politics is being played and when corruption is being fought. There is concerted efforts to target ODM," Ms Shebesh said.
However, Sports Minister Paul Otuoma is among few ODM MPs to have defended KACC and dismissed those claiming it was targeting party members. PNU MPs and civil society immediately rallied to the defence of KACC.
The PNU MPs told ODM not to interfere with KACC and asked Dr Lumumba not to be intimidated.
PNU chief whip Johnstone Muthama argues the fight against corruption would continue regardless of the stature of those indicted and taken to court.
Kosgey and Ruto are also on the Ocampo list of six, and are awaiting their fate in May.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment