Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Rift MPs meet Kibaki in onslaught against Raila

By VINCENT BARTOO
Driven by their newly found unity, some Kalenjin MPs have yet again launched another affront against Prime Minister Raila Odinga.
The MPs are now trying to rope in President Kibaki in a fresh and wider scheme to ensure the premier does not get a chance to ascend to power next year.
Five key Kalenjin leaders sought audience with Kibaki at Harambee House on Monday morning, in a discreet meeting that lasted two hours.
They were Former Industrialisation minister Henry Kosgey, ministers Sally Kosgei (Aldai) and Hellen Sambili (Mogotio), Charles Keter (Belgut) and Eldoret North’s William Ruto.
According to sources privy to the meeting, the MPs want to rope in the President under the banner of uniting former warring communities in Rift Valley Province.
This appears to be a calculated move that hopes to enlist the President’s hand in a succession plan around Ruto and deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta.
"They have even invited the President to Eldoret this Friday to kickstart tours around the province to preach this unity," said an MP from the region, who requested anonymity. The MP was forthright about the greater aim of the strategy saying it was aimed at "finishing Raila completely".
Said the MP: "He will not survive the onslaught. He cannot just use and dump our leaders like that. He must suffer the consequences".
Contacted for comment, Keter was non-committal about the meeting with the President and sought to know where we got the information.
"Whoever told you about it should have given you all the details," he told The Standard on the telephone.
Impending visit
Asked about the President’s impending visit to Rift Valley, Keter said: "You remember the President had promised last time that he would visit. Maybe he will come".
Wareng County Council Chairman, Paul Kiprop, however, confirmed a meeting by Uasin Gishu leaders today at the council hall in Eldoret to plan for the President’s reception on Friday.
"It has been confirmed to us that he is coming and we are meeting as leaders tomorrow to plan his visit. We want to accord him a grand reception," he told The Standard.
Said Kiprop: "The President is coming on a peace and development mission but the truth of the matter is that we are completely done with Raila".
Apart from the unity tours, the issue of The Hague indictments and corruption cases facing some Kalenjin leaders were top on the agenda at Harambee House meeting.
"They appeared to put the blame on their tribulations squarely on Raila who they said had completely abandoned them," added our source.
Kipchumba Murkomen, a law lecturer at Moi University, however, said the Kalenjin leaders were now presenting a face of desperation.

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