Linturi, Maore shift to Raila camp during Meru rally

By WAINAINA wa NDUNGU and PATRICK MURIUNGIPrime Minister Raila Odinga toured Meru County where he held rallies and inspected development projects in what used to be hte larger Nyambene.
Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi and former Ntonyiri MP Maoka Maore, who accompanied the PM, announced they had shifted their political loyalties to Raila.
The pronouncement is likely to open up wedges in politics in the region, especially in Meru South region, which is dominated by the Party of National Union (PNU).
"There is an educated Meru with roads, water, development and pride, and a Meru without independence," said political activist James Mithika, while speaking at a rally at Maua Stadium.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga presents a tittle deed to one of the 5,000 beneficiaries at Maua Stadium, Saturday. [PHOTO: GEORGE MULALA/STANDARD]

Speaking at Linturi’s home, leaders claimed the area had been sidelined by the Kenyatta, Moi and Kibaki regimes, with the last one reserving ministerial appointments to the Meru South region.
Ministers in the Kibaki Government from the region have been former Imenti North MP Daudi Mwiraria (Finance and later Environment) and South Imenti’s Kiraitu Murungi (currently of Energy).
"In 1992, you signed a political pact to support President Kibaki who is now retiring. We now have to find a viable alternative," said Maore.
Mithika said the area had 200,000 votes that Raila should seek to capture.
On Saturday, Raila described Linturi as "courageous, wise, crafty and a long time friend, saying they have been political friends since the clamour for multiparty democracy in the 1990s.
Assistant minister Kilemi Mwiria, who was the only MP from the Meru South in Saturday’s rallies, did not align himself to the Raila camp, but said that all potential presidential candidates were free to seek votes in the area.
Raila took the opportunity to launch a tirade against tribalism, saying political unions based on tribes should be rejected because they were retrogressive to national development.
And he had many goodies for the people. He issued 3,000 land title deeds to area residents, launched a Sh1.2 billion, 20km stretch of the uncompleted Meru-Mikinduri-Maua road, and commissioned expansion of the Nyambene District Hospital.
Raila also promised a Sh700million drainage and sewer system and construction of two high mast street lights in Maua to be implemented by the Ministry of Housing and two boreholes to alleviate perennial water shortage in the town.
He also ordered the Mulji Devraj and Bros Limited, the company undertaking the project, to include tarmacking of Maua town roads as part of the project.
"This is an order from the Prime Minister," Raila told Roads PS Michael Kamau who was present during commissioning of the project, which is expected to be complete by July 2013.
The Prime Minister urged area residents to reject tribalism and blamed it for under development.
"Why should anyone use tribalism to urge you to join tribal unions such as Gema and KKK to fight people of other tribes who are also Kenyans," said the Raila.
He said time was up for Kenya to leave the league of poor states such as Uganda and Somalia, and play in the League of Nations like Brazil, South Korea and India.
"It is a pity that in the 1960s Kenya’s economy was larger than that of South Korea but now their economy is 40 times larger than ours," said Raila.
Responding to area leaders requests, Raila promised to address the issue of tarmacking of the Kibwezi-Kitui-Mwingi-Maua-Isiolo road which would open up the area and link it to the proposed Isiolo International Airport for export of miraa.
The Prime Minister said he would join attempts to promote export of miraa to more nations.
Others who accompanied Raila were Assistant ministers Margaret Wanjiru, Magerer Langat, MPs Mohamed Mohamud and Rachael Shebesh, former MPs Reuben Ndolo and Simon Mbugua.