Thursday, August 25, 2011

Sacked Ruto and allies vow to quit ODM



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Eldoret North MP William Ruto (far right), Dujis MP Aden Duale (centre) and Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni (left) address a news conference flanked by other MPs at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi, August 25, 2011. The MPs said they were in transit from ODM following the sacking of party rebels from government. STEPHEN MUDIARI
Eldoret North MP William Ruto (far right), Dujis MP Aden Duale (centre) and Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni (left) address a news conference flanked by other MPs at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi, August 25, 2011. The MPs said they were in transit from ODM following the sacking of party rebels from government. STEPHEN MUDIARI  
By JOHN NGIRACHU jngirachu@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Thursday, August 25  2011 at  15:32
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MPs allied to Eldoret North legislator William Ruto have declared they are in transit from ODM and are now re-energised following the sacking of party rebels.
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They also accused President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga of rewarding “sycophancy, mediocrity and incompetence” in the mini-Cabinet reshuffle Wednesday.
Mr Ruto and former East African Community minister Prof Hellen Sambili led former assistant ministers Aden Duale, Mohammed Mohamud Ali and 18 MPs in making statements of defiance at a press conference in Parliament Thursday.
“It’s just a question of time for us to move on and build a much more progressive movement and live to fulfill what we would have wanted in ODM,” said Mr Ruto.
Mr Ruto, who is ODM’s deputy party leader, told reporters the rebels would technically remain in the party they helped found because they were elected on its ticket.
He said the MPs would leave the party at the opportune moment and would at that time carry away the support they had brought with them during its formation.
But he emphasised that the differences between his faction and that led by Prime Minister Raila Odinga were irreconcilable, and that they would “meet at the elections.”
Prof Sambili, who is the only elected member of the United Democratic Movement, welcomed the rebels to join her party.
There are cases pending in court over an attempt to take over the leadership of the party that has been linked with the Ruto faction in the past.
Former Special Programmes assistant minister Mohammed Mohamud Ali said ODM was “on the path to self-destruction” for sacking the rebels  and would lose support in upper Eastern.
“In our community, when we go hunting  and catch an animal, the dogs eat the same meat we eat but on a bad day, the dog turns on its owner and eats him,” he added.
Mr Duale was also elated at his removal from the Livestock Development ministry, where he had moved out earlier in the day.
“For some of us, today is a big day because we have joined the Martha Karuas and the (Dr Boni) Khalwales in the backbench,” said Mr Duale.
Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni criticised the re-appointment of Moses Wetang’ula as Foreign Affairs minister despite the damning report by the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee that was the basis of his departure last year.
“We have not seen or heard of (even) a one-page report clearing him,” said Mr Kioni.
He said the timing of the mini-reshuffle, which came at the same time as the nominations for the positions of Controller of Budget, Auditor General and Attorney General, showed there was some arm-twisting.
Mr Kioni said it would be difficult for Mr Wetang’ula to work with the Defence and  Foreign Relations Committee given the history of disagreements he has had with it

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