Wednesday, February 15, 2012

VP in trouble over Mutula views on ICC


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By OLIVER MATHENGE omathenge@ke.nationmedia.com and BOB ODALO bodalo@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Tuesday, February 14  2012 at  22:30
The G7 Alliance on Tuesday seemed headed for a major fallout as allies of Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto turned against Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka.

The MPs meeting at a Nairobi hotel are demanding that the VP have Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo sacked, failure to which he will not be welcome to attend the joint rallies in support of International Criminal Court accused Kenyatta and Ruto.
Mr Kenyatta attended the closed-door meeting at Nairobi’s Sagret hotel where his supporters took issue with what they said was the VP’s silence over Mr Kilonzo's statements on whether ICC suspects can still run for presidency.
The trouble appears to have started at a rally in Machakos last weekend where Mr Musyoka is accused of failing to decry Mr Kilonzo’s utterances.
The MPs are also said to be irked by remarks from Kangundo MP Johnstone Muthama, a close ally of the VP, during the meeting on Saturday. (READ: Unite or forget top seat, G7 leaders told)
While Mr Muthama was missing at Tuesday’s meeting, notably present were some of Mr Musyoka’s critics in Ukambani — Mr Kiema Kilonzo (Mutito) and Mr Charles Kilonzo (Yatta).
Those in attendance remained cagey with details of the meeting, but multiple sources confirmed that a key issue was the VP’s role in the G7 Alliance.
“We had to meet and put this house in order. This house was crumbling and it had to be saved because there is too much at stake and some people who do not even have the numbers are working to destroy it,” said one MP who attended the meeting.
Speaking after the meeting, Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi said “consultations” were “ongoing issues” in the light of the reopening of Parliament on Tuesday.
MPs allied to Mr Kenyatta are preparing to take to the House a motion of no-confidence against the Justice Minister.
Sources from the meeting revealed that MPs will sign a petition to be presented to Speaker Kenneth Marende arguing that Mr Kilonzo has been misinterpreting the Constitution.
They are to cite Article 99(3), which protects an accused person from being kicked out of office unless all avenues of appeal have been exhausted.
Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny said allies of Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto, who attended the Machakos rally, were not happy with what they witnessed and would rather have joint meetings without the VP.
“Mr Muthama made a statement in Kikamba which we have not taken lightly,” Mr Kuttuny said, adding that the statement could be interpreted to mean that the VP stands to benefit from Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto’s troubles.
During the Machakos meeting, Mr Muthama is on record saying, “Mbaitu ni mwisi kana veekwa aati tukekaati (My brothers, do you know that if things go that way, we are going to win this battle)?”
He went on, “Aa meekwaati, tukekaati, nikenda vekwe ati na indi tuyika ati (If it happens so, we will realise good tidings?”
Mr Kuttuny told the Daily Nation that during the Machakos meeting, the team had challenged Mr Musyoka to “get rid of Mr Kilonzo, but the Vive President appeared to have a soft heart despite openly showing disregard for Ruto and Kenyatta”.
Soon after the Machakos meeting, Mr Kenyatta and Mr Ruto led their entourage to a hotel in Kitengela where they reportedly said that they were unhappy with the reception in Machakos.
Two MPs from Ukambani attended the meeting, the Nation has reliably learnt.
The G7 alliance has planned another meeting for Nyahururu Town this weekend and it will be interesting to see if the VP will attend in light of the latest developments.

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