Saturday, October 13, 2012

RAILA, RUTO NEGOTIATE COALITION



FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 2012 - 00:00 -- BY STAR TEAM
Ruto and Raila meet in Kisii in may 4, 2011
NEW PACT? Ruto and Raila meet in Kisii On May 4, 2011.
PRIME Minister Raila Odinga is discussing a possible coalition arrangement with Eldoret North MP William Ruto. The two leaders are yet to agree on the finer details of a pre-election arrangement but sources familiar with the discussion told the Star yesterday that it is just a matter of time before they hammer out a deal.
"The Tuesday meeting was not the first one. There have been several meetings between the two and a lot of ground has been covered already. If all goes well, we will have a deal on the table before the deadlines set in law," said an informed source.
The Political Parties Act demands that all coalition pacts be formalised and the agreements deposited with the Registrar of Political Parties by December 4, three months before the presidential election on March 4.
Sources close to Ruto said they were pushing Raila to name Ruto as his running mate. They also want an agreement that would see Ruto's URP to field candidates in all other elective positions.
Yesterday Ruto denied meeting Raila in secret but told a press conference that he is looking for an opportunity to win the PM's support for his presidential bid.
"There are a lot of stories running around that I have met the PM. I have not. But tell him I am looking for him," said Ruto.
Ruto explained that he was on a mission to speak to all his rivals in the presidential race. "Most of them owe me a favour. I want him (Raila) to support this great movement. I once supported him, I want him to support me," said Ruto.
On Tuesday the two met at a mutual friend's house in Karen. Raila and Ruto both drove alone to the venue of the meeting without any aides, bodyguards or drivers.
However some Rift Valley MPs have vowed to abandon Ruto if he returns to ODM. "If we are doing any deal, it has to be after the first round and with anyone else but Raila. We do not think Raila has reformed enough for us to trust him," said Cherenganyi MP Joshua Kutuny.
Two months ago Raila told a rally in Eldoret that he was wooing back ODM members who had left the party after the 2007 elections.
"We want our friends who have left the party to return so that we  can all continue with the journey that we began in 2007.There is no need to hustle because we all belonged to the Orange Party. There is no need to score in your own goal," said Raila then.
In May Ruto and Raila also met at the same mutual friend's house in Karen. Raila told Ruto that he would use his international contacts to try and help him at the International Criminal Court in exchange for his support in the 2013 election.
That meeting was also attended by Westlands MP Fred Gumo and Raila's wife Ida who had been to Ruto's house twice to set it up.
In December last year, Ida suddenly issued a surprise statement supporting calls for the ICC cases to brought back to Kenya.
Ruto is facing charges of crimes against humanity at the Hague also with radio presenter Joshua arap Sang.  Their trial will start on April 11, the day after the start of the trial of Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and former Public Service chief Francis Muthaura.
The situation for pre-election pacts is still very fluid with almost any permutation still possible. Last week Ruto met two other presidential aspirants, Uhuru and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, at the Norfolk Hotel to discuss pre or post-election pacts.
Last night Ruto was reportedly meeting Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi who has said he will be the UDF presidential candidate.
Yesterday the Star exclusively revealed that on Tuesday night Uhuru secretly met Water minister Charity Ngilu, Justice minister Eugene Wamalwa and MP Musikari Kombo at a Westlands restaurant to discuss a two team strategy to knock out Raila in the first round.
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