By NATION TEAM newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Wednesday, March 28 2012 at 22:00
Posted Wednesday, March 28 2012 at 22:00
Former Tourism Minister Najib Balala has himself to blame for the dismissal after he repeatedly demonstrated that his political interests were outside his party, Prime Minister Raila Odinga has said.
But in reaction, Mr Balala said he was sacked for having an independent mind and accused his party leader of being “a dictator whom Kenyans do not deserve as their next president”. (READ: Balala kicked out)
On Wednesday, Mr Odinga said the Mvita MP had refused to play as a member of an Orange Democratic Movement team.
Instead, he was busy “shooting the ball towards his own goal”, in effect undermining the party’s objectives and interests, Mr Odinga said.
“If your wife wants a divorce and demands it two times, three times, you give it to her. I have always said that as a party, we want to move forward as a team,” the PM said at Tononoka Grounds, which falls in the heart of Mr Balala’s constituency.
“In a game of football, you shoot towards the opponent’s goal not your own,’’ the PM said when he officially launched the Cash Programme, a partly donor-funded welfare initiative meant to help the poor in urban slums.
The PM’s explanation came even as Mr Balala accused him and President Kibaki of betraying Kenyans and only agreeing when it was convenient for them.
Mr Balala said the two had failed to agree on matters affecting Kenyans.
In what appeared to be reference to the leaders’ failure to agree on the election date, Mr Balala said that they were only “interested in their political survival”.
“It is interesting that when the two want to deal with selfish interests, they sit down and agree, but when it comes to matters of national interest, they come out fighting in public,” Mr Balala said.
He said he was one of the few people who spoke out on the lack of democracy within ODM. It was better to be sacked than be a sycophant of the PM, Mr Balala argued.
He said he would consult with various people before announcing the political party he would join for the next General Election.
At the Tononoka function, some politicians accused Mr Balala of supporting ODM rivals.
Assistant ministers Hassan Joho, Seif Kajembe, Manson Nyamweya and MPs Masoud Mwahima (Likoni) and Omar Zonga (Msambweni) said Mr Balala was sacked because he was at loggerheads with his party and not because he was a Muslim.
On Tuesday, a group of religious leaders said they had nullified the famous 2007 pre-election Memorandum of Understanding between Muslim leaders and Mr Odinga to protest at Mr Balala’s sacking.
Council of Imams and Preachers of Kenya organising secretary Sheikh Mohammed Khalifa and national treasurer Sheikh Hassan Omar accused the premier of breaching the agreement by sacking Mr Balala.
They vowed to rally Muslims across the country against the Lang’ata MP.
But Kenya Muslim National Advisory Council chairman Sheikh Juma Ngao and Kwale’s CIPK chairman Amir Banda said Muslims had not resolved to cut links with the PM.
Speaking to the Nation by phone from Naivasha, Sheikh Ngao said Muslims had benefited little from Mr Balala’s ministerial position and nominated MP Sheikh Dor who got the positions as a result of the MoU between some Muslim groups and Mr Odinga.
Mr Joho, while thanking the PM for his appointment an assistant minister, said all political leaders representing constituencies in Mombasa County were Muslims and could discharge the role of minister.
Mombasa mayor Ahmed Mohdhar said Mr Balala had betrayed his party and his dismissal should be viewed from that perspective.
- Reported by Mark Agutu, Oliver Mathenge, Lucas Barasa, George Kikami and Daniel Nyassy
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