The next four days could define how the crisis over four key nominations to constitutional offices is resolved even as Parliament readies for an attempt to censure Speaker Kenneth Marende.
To start with, three judges of the High Court will on Monday start hearing a case filed by a group challenging the nominations made by President Kibaki, which were opposed by Raila.
The judges, Luka Kimaru, George Dulu and Kalpana Rawal, are expected to finalise hearing of the constitutional reference case within the week, and give an indication of when they will give their ruling.
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| Prime Minister Raila Odinga has urged his allies to remain calm as they prepare for a full-blown war with President Mwai Kibaki's camp in parliament on Tuesday. |
On Sunday, the war of words continued between the Orange Democratic (ODM) and Party of National Unity (PNU) as MPs allied to Kibaki said Marende should be ready to face their wrath on Tuesday.
But Prime Minister Raila Odinga urged his allies to remain calm as they prepared for a full-blown war with Kibaki’s camp in parliament on Tuesday.
The ODM MPs were breathing fire as they addressed a public rally attended by the PM at Tononoka grounds in Mombasa.
Information Minister Samuel Poghisio, a Ruto ally, had hinted at a stormy session in Parliament this week when he accompanied the Eldoret North MP to Amagoro.
"I hope the Speaker will be strong enough to weather the storm he will encounter in Parliament next week," warned Poghisio,
Besides Ruto, all the other big guns on Kibaki’s side were on Sunday busy galvanising support for the President, as they prepared for a new battle in which they expect to overrule Marende’s ruling.
Attacked ruling
Besides warning Marende, Kibaki allies also said that the PM should also prepare for battle as well.
In Kiambu, 10 MPs joined Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta at a charged rally to lay ground for the assault against Raila.
They threw verbal salvos at the Prime Minister and vowed to stand behind President Kibaki’s nominees both inside and outside Parliament.
Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta led four ministers and nine MPs in trashing the Marende’s ruling by vowing to overturn the verdict in Parliament. The meeting in Kikuyu was also used as a platform by the MPs to tore into Raila, with allegations that he influenced Marende’s ruling, and undermining the presidency.
MPs who attended the meeting also expressed their support for Uhuru’s quest for presidency in the 2012 General Election.
Posters with a message ‘Uhuru for President’ with a rider ‘Mwanzo Mpya’ (New beginning) were also dished out to people attending the meeting, while others were plastered on Public Service Vehicles.
Before the rally, held at Wangige market, the leaders converged at the St Peters Anglican Church of Kenya (ACK) Donyo, before walking to the venue of the rally, which was adjacent to the church.
Elsewhere in Nyeri, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka urged Kenyans to be patient and give the courts time to sort out the current standoff on constitutional appointments by the President. Musyoka described the impasse as "a small hiccup characteristic of coalition governments and democracies.
"We Kenyans, as believers in the rule of law, should not be overly worried over this issue. It is just a minor storm in a tea pot which we should, like the President advised, allow the courts to sort it out" said Kalonzo.
And in Teso, Ruto said he was confident that a solution would be found on Tuesday when Parliament reconvenes.
"I respect the Speaker because he represents both sides of the Government, but he cannot speak on behalf of all MPs before they conclude debate," said Ruto.
He said there should be no confusion in Government for the Constitution to be implemented smoothly.
Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa said it was wrong for leaders to go on bickering instead of helping Kenyans live in harmony and develop the country.
"Leaders in the Government should agree on contentious issues and resolve them, because we have very few months to next elections in 2012," said Wamalwa.
He said the youth should work hard and take over the country’s leadership to end the incessant political bickering.
Poghisio accused the Speaker of dividing Parliament into warring factions instead of bringing the MPs together.
"If you split your constituents into two, do you expect to be re-elected?" posed Poghisio.
But in Mombasa, ODM said only talks between President Kibaki and PM Raila could resolve the stalemate over the contentious nominations.
The leaders told a rally addressed by Raila that the matter should be resolved with speed to avoid "a Constitutional crisis".
Raila took the dispute to the court of public opinion on Sunday, when he addressed a massive rally at the historic Tononoka grounds in Mombasa.
Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Justice and Constitutional Affairs, Ababu Namwamba, said the crisis over the nominations was because President Kibaki was under siege from his political allies.
"The war is between reformists and those who want to defile the Constitution to protect personal interests. The President has been taken hostage by these forces who are misleading him," Namwamba said.
Poor adviceHe added that Kibaki should now stop relying on political allies to offer legal advice, and instead use the Attorney General and the Minister for Constitutional Affairs.
Cabinet ministers James Orengo and Otieno Kajwang’ said President Kibaki misinterpreted the law because he was relying on legal advice from people who have never studied law.
"It is clear the President ignored legal advice from the Attorney General, the Chief Justice and the Justice minister," he said. He said House Speaker Marende was also fit to be a chief justice, and that was why his ruling on the President’s nominations should be respected.
"I don’t know which law school Mr Francis Muthaura, Mr William Ruto and Mr Uhuru Kenyatta attended to give the President legal advice on Constitutional matters," Orengo said.
"We respect the President, but it is unfortunate he has taken the wrong advice and ignored constitutional experts in nominating persons to constitutional offices," said Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim.
MPs Dan Mwazo (Voi), Thomas Mwadeghu (Wundanyi), Hassan Joho (Kisauni), Namwamba and Amason Kingi (Magarini) said they are ready to defend the Speaker if and when a censure Motion is brought against him.
"If they want to bring a censure Motion against the Speaker, we are ready. We will take it on," said Namwamba.
But Raila appeared to strike a reconciliatory note when he asked those around him and President Kibaki to hold their horses, and leave the matter to the two principals.
Tourism minister and Mvita Najib Balala whose area covers Tononoka did not attend the rally.
Raila also paraded MPs Gideon Mungaro, Omar Zonga, Elizabeth Ongoro, Charles Onyancha, Fred Outa, John Pesa, Ayiecho Olwenyi, Dalmas Otieno, Masoud Mwahima, Mika Kigen, Ben Gunda, Samuel Godhana, Rachael Shebesh, Alfred Khang’ati and Ramadhan Kajembe.
Reporting by Patrick Beja, Willis Ochieng, Allan Kisia, Isaiah Lucheli and Job Weru
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