Ruto allies move to stoke anti-Raila fires

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Higher Education Minister Margaret Kamar and Energy assistant minister Magerer Langat at the Chepkoilel University College Agri-Business Trade Fair in Eldoret town on 06 September, 2012. Photo/JARED NYATAYA 

By ISAAC ONGIRI iongiri@ke.nationmedia.com AND GEOFFREY RONO marukware@yahoo.com
Posted  Friday, September 7  2012 at  23:31

IN SUMMARY

• The promises include the resettlement of squatters who were kicked out of the Mau Forest. Mr Langat accused the PM of neglecting the evictees who were still living in camps.

Rebellion against Prime Minister Raila Odinga in the Rift Valley could grow this weekend with three MPs allied to him from the region expected at a meeting organised by Mr William Ruto’s United Republican Party (URP) on Sunday.

Dr Julius Kones, the Konoin MP, said on Friday that the leaders from the South Rift region have been meeting to discuss a common political front that could see four MPs prevailed upon to abandon Mr Odinga.

“We have been meeting with three of the MPs and on Sunday I will be hosting them in my constituency,” said Dr Kones, a member of the URP think tank.

Dr Kones and Belgut MP Charles Keter, another ally of Mr Ruto, said a grassroots campaign to lure four South Rift lawmakers has been going on for some time.

The MPs said the leaders had come under pressure by their supporters to ditch Mr Odinga’s ODM for URP to increase their chances of retaining their seats.

Mr Keter and Dr Kones said that their local supporters want leaders from the area to speak with one voice.

“It is true we have been talking I have met three of those MPs at personal level to engage them on how to take flight to the URP. We have assured them that there will be no hostilities against them,” said Mr Keter.

Two days ago, assistant minister Magerer Langat sparked fresh political anxiety in the region after he threatened to “reconsider” his political relationship with Mr Odinga citing dozens of unfulfilled promises on the resettlement of the former forest squatters.

The promises include the resettlement of squatters who were kicked out of the Mau Forest. Mr Langat accused the PM of neglecting the evictees who were still living in camps.

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“I am communicating directly to the PM and telling him that our support is not for nothing. If we are going to be ignored, then we are going to review our partnership with ODM,” he said.

On Saturday the leaders in the area will meet at a function at the Tergat Catholic Church as part of a wider plan to crystalise a political union.

On Friday, Mr Keter told the Saturday Nation on the phone that he has personally invited Mr Magerer, Mrs Kones and Dr Laboso to the event.

On Friday Mr Magerer said that he will not change his position if his concerns are not addressed.

“People are calling me telling that I should go slow on this matter. How can I go slow when our people are suffering after government instigated displacements,” Mr Langat said.

But Dr Joyce Laboso, the Sotik MP, sought to distanced herself from claims they were planning to quit ODM saying she was not part of the scheme.

“We will be attending an ordination ceremony this morning for a Catholic priest at Tergat in Bomet as local leaders but not to announce defection,” the Sotik MP said.

She, however, said that she had resigned alongside Mr Bett, Mrs Kones and Mr Magerer from a government committee overseeing the resettlement of the Mau evictees due to government failure to resettle the families.

She said that the mood should not be misconstrued to mean that they were about to ditch ODM.

Speaking on the phone, Dr Laboso said that the pronouncement by the Energy assistant minister that they were about to severe links with the PM should be taken as his personal opinion and does not represent the views of MPs from the South Rift region.

Mr Bett could not be reached on phone to comment on the matter as he is on official trip in Australia while Mrs Kones phone went an answered.

The head of the Mau Secretariat Mr Nooh Hassan Noor however distanced his office from the delays in the resettlement of the Mau evictees.

“My office is not involved with the issue. I think it is clear which government office is handling resettlement of all eviction victims,” he said.