Ruto led a strange mix of ministers and MPs to see the Ugandan leader, who in turn spared no State expense to host them, even using his chopper to fly them to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania from his Rwakitura farm in Mbarara where he keeps over 400 long-horned Ankole cattle.
Neither Museveni nor Kikwete committed their support to his cause, but advised the group to focus on reconciling the country.
An MP in the group said Ruto has asked Museveni to arrange for him to meet Kikwete and the latter agreed. The suspended Higher Education minister left the country with Ministers Ali Chirau Mwakwere and Samuel Poghisio on Thursday morning for Uganda, where they met President Museveni. They then moved to Tanzania the following day for a meeting with President Kikwete at State House, Dar es Salaam arranged by Museveni.
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| President Jakaya Kikwete (left) receives leader of Kenyan delegation, William Ruto, at State House, Dar es Salaam. The MPs had earlier met President Museveni of Uganda at his farm. Photo: Courtesy |
Kikwete was part of the mediating team that brought President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga to the negotiating table in 2008, after post-election violence rocked the country and was there mainly to discuss regional politics.
The rivalry between Raila and Ruto has picked up lately with the latter appearing on a popular comedy show on television just a week after it had hosted the PM. It also comes as Raila moves to try and regain his following in the Rift Valley.
Insiders say Museveni is uncertain with the frontrunner status of the PM in the race to succeed Kibaki, as evidenced by successive opinion polls, despite recently hosting the PM as a State guest, and that Ruto is keen to exploit Museveni’s indecision.
But other than Raila, Ruto also faces a legal hurdle in the form of the International Criminal Court (ICC) that hangs over his presidential plans. The ICC has accused him and five others of serious crimes against humanity, and a hearing to decide whether or not to confirm the charges is due on September 1.
An MP who travelled with the team said apart from attempting to portray himself as versed in regional politics, Ruto used the trip to try and convince the two presidents that he is a serious presidential contender with broad political support, hence his handpicked team.
Those who attended the two meetings have remained tight-lipped since returning to the country, but it has emerged among the issues discussed included the need for leaders in the region who can help citizens exploit available opportunities.
An MP who attended both meetings said Museveni and Kikwete listened to proposals from the group on how to strengthen the East African Community (EAC).
"They were both concerned about what is going to happen in 2012, and that is why they were very keen to know how political alliances are shaping up in the country," said the MP.
At the meeting with Museveni at the latter’s Rwakitura farm, sources said Ruto gave details to the Ugandan leader on the status of his political relationship with Uhuru Kenyatta, Eugene Wamalwa and Kalonzo Musyoka.
It also emerged that Chirau Mwakere has since gained prominence in the Ruto camp after Tourism Minister Najib Balala was said to have reconciled with the PM.
On Sunday, Kazungu Kambi said they indeed met Museveni at his Rwakitura farm for three hours where they took lunch together before holding a closed-door meeting.
2012 electionsAlthough Kambi was tight-lipped about what transpired because of a general agreement by the attendants that what was discussed be kept private, The Standard learnt that the Ruto team told Museveni they were trying to knit together on a cohesive political group to fight Raila for the presidency next year.
Ruto and Eugene were in President Kibaki’s team that attended Museveni’s swearing in ceremony after his controversial re-election with a disputed 68 per cent majority.
Before leaving for Uganda, the MPs were kept waiting at Wilson Airport for two hours because the two Ministers had to make a presentation at the performance contract meeting.
Very early in the morning, Poghisio and Mwakere had gone through the formalities of seeking permission from the President to be out of the country.
At Entebbe, the group was received by the President’s Chief of Protocol at Entebbe Airport and whisked to a waiting presidential helicopter that dropped them at President Museveni’s Rwakitura farm.
"We found him waiting for us and then joined him in a grass thatched brick house designed like an African traditional hut for lunch, and then proceeded with the meeting from 3pm to 6pm, that is all I can tell you," said Kambi.
The MP who spoke to The Standard said Museveni delved into the complexities of Kenyan politics with the group, but did not make any personal commitment only promising to work with them in future and wished them well.
He asked the group to be self-reliant in pushing for their political goals and booked for them an appointment with President Kikwete, before they left Mbarara for an overnight stay in Kampala’s Sheraton Hotel, at the courtesy of President Museveni.
Flight to Tanzania The Kenyan delegation then left very early the following day in a Presidential motorcade to Entebbe Airport where they boarded the 14-seater -caravan they had chartered at Wilson Airport in Nairobi and left for Tanzania.
After a four-hour flight, they landed at Nyerere International Airport where President Kikwete’s handlers took them to the VIP Lounge for tea.
They were then whisked by a presidential motorcade to State House, where they found Kikwete waiting.
"He came to the reception and said Karibuni, Karibuni and proceeded to greet each member of the delegations as Ruto introduced those he had never met," said an MP who appeared to be so elated about the trip.
According to the source, they then proceeded for a two-hour closed-door meeting with President Kikwete where the discussion centered on what they had with Museveni.
"Kikwete said Tanzania has a stake in what happens in Kenya because of the interests of the people of both of countries," said an MP who attended a meeting with President Kibaki in Nyanza
They left for the airport at around 5.30pm and flew to Moi International Airport where the MPs boarded a Kenya Airways flight at 8pm for Nairobi, because the chartered Caravan 5YFLX did not have a license to fly in Kenyan airspace at night.
When Ruto was in Uganda and Tanzania, Prime Minister Raila Odinga visited a village in his North Rift back yard to re-establish his support in the region.
On Sunday, Ruto also declined to discuss the meetings with Museveni and Kikwete, but said Raila was free to visit any part of the country. He also dismissed claims that Linturi had decamped to Raila’s camp.
"We agreed with Linturi that he was to attend that function before Tinga [Raila] went to Meru, so it is no big deal," said Ruto.
The MP revealed that like-minded MPs will move together to UDM, which recently captured civic seats in Igoji and Kirimara because of Linturi’s influence in the area.
He said his line-up in Meru includes Prof Kindiki Kithure, Dr Kanyithia Mutunga who is the Chief Executive Officer of Kenfap, M’Kareithi Peter of Tigania North and Faith Kawira (Imenti North) among others.
The suspended Agriculture Minister claimed his team has already established a network that will be a force to reckon with in the elections next year.
"The bond between me and Eugene Wamalwa is growing while Poghisio and Assistant Minister Athman Kamama are also with us, so we are a formidable team," said Ruto.
On Sunday Ruto said there is need for national sensitization and awareness campaign programme on East African Community integration process.
Ruto said Kenyans would benefit more from the East African Common Market Protocol and they should be educated on how to explore such trading opportunities.
"The East African Common Market Protocol is real and Kenyans need to take up the opportunities created to make more money," said Ruto.
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RUTO IN SECRET TALKS WITH M7 AND KIKWETE
ELDORET North MP William Ruto led a delegation of six MPs in a secret tour to Uganda and Tanzania to meet Presidents Yoweri Museveni and Jakaya Kikwete.
In a move seen as an attempt to strengthen regional ties with the two neighbouring states, the former Higher Education minister with two ministers and five MPs crisscrossed the air in the tour of Kampala and Dar-es-Salaam.But as Ruto was away, Prime Minister Raila Odinga returned to Eldoret to plead with the Kalenjin community to resume their support for him.
Accompanied by Cabinet Minister Sally Kosgei, Raila told the Kalenjin that he had not betrayed Ruto. Speculation was rife that Sally may be warming up to the PM again after she ditched him for Ruto's camp.
Ruto and his team flew from JKIA in a chartered plane to Kampala on Thursday evening and met Museveni overnight before leaving for Dar-es-Salaam yesterday morning.
Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny confirmed last evening that Ruto and members of his delegation were due to fly from Dar to Nairobi after a successful mission with Kikwete. “He went to Tanzania and Uganda in a bid to strengthen his ties with the two regional heads of state as part of his preparation for the 2012 race,” Kuttuny said.
The delegation included ministers Samuel Poghisio, Chirau Mwakere, MPs Mithika Linturi, Eugene Wamalwa, Kazungu Kambi, Aden Duale and former nominated MP Mark Too.
Kuttuny said Ruto's 24-hour tour of the two countries was prompted by an invitation by the heads of state. “It is Kikwete and Museveni who wanted to see him and so he had to honour their invitation in the spirit of regional ties,” Kuttuny declared. But some sources claimed it is Museveni who secured an appointment for the delegation to meet Kikwete.
It emerged that Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta had also been invited in the same mission but it was not clear why he did not travel.
Chepalungu MP Isaac Rutto, also a close ally of Ruto, said Ruto travelled to Uganda but said he was not aware of the agenda. “I am aware he is in Kampala and was to meet Museveni but as for the agenda he (Ruto) can speak for himself since I am not his spokesman,” Rutto said. On Thursday morning Ruto spent over two hours at Uhuru’s Treasury office where the trip is said to have been discussed. A source close to the DPM said that Ruto arrived at 9am, held a lengthy meeting with Uhuru before leaving at 11.30am.
While Ruto was away, his political foe Raila made another desperate attempt to woo the Kalenjin with a visit to Eldoret. The PM told the Kalenjin to support him adding that claims that he had betrayed Ruto were false and should be ignored.
He denied he was behind Ruto’s political problems and distanced himself from claims he forwarded the Eldoret North MP’s name to The Hague where he and five others are facing politically damaging criminal charges.
The PM has been making frantic efforts to mend the cracking Orange with former allies fleeing from the party. “How could I forward the names like the one of Henry Kosgey who is my ODM Party Chairman? People have used cheap propaganda to ensure that I take blame for things I never did,” Raila said.
Raila explained that Ruto and Sally were in the Serena team which came up with the name of Justice Philip Waki to chair the commission which probed the post-election violence and forward the names of suspects to former UN boss Kofi Annan.
Raila explained that he helped secure the release of hundreds of Kalenjin youth arrested over the violence. “I through a proposal in the Cabinet helped to secure the release of the youth from Rift Valley held by police after the violence but still a section of Rift Valley MPs went ahead to blame me for nothing,” he said
Raila was accompanied by Sally, Roads Minister Franklin Bett, Lands Minister James Orengo and MPs Alfred Khangati, Ayiecho Olweny and Musa Sirma. Later the PM met Kalenjin and Luo elders at the home of Mzee David Cheluget in Tuiyo, Eldoret South. The elders from Nyanza were led by Mzee Willis Otondi.
At the meeting the Kalenjin elders demanded the reinstatement of Prof Harun Mengech as Director of the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital. Kalenjin elders Jackson Kibor and Seid Keittany who are close allies of the PM in the region were also present.
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