Raila heckled?

A plan orchestrated by a section of Rift Valley ODM leaders to have Prime Minister Raila Odinga heckled during his visit to West Pokot District flopped.

Sources claimed the plan failed after a local civic leader disappeared with Sh100,000 meant to hire youths to boo the PM.

Security was tight at Makutano Stadium after the district security team got wind from intelligence agencies of the plot to humiliate the PM.

A contingent of police officers comprising regular, administration and General Service Unit patrolled

Makutano township and the stadium to forestall any attempt to disrupt the rally.

Fuelled tension

The presence of GSU officers, summoned from Chepchoina in Kwanza District, fuelled tension.

The local security team led by West Pokot DC Allan Machari and his Pokot North counterpart Joseph Motari monitored the situation as the public trooped to the stadium to wait for the arrival of the Prime Minister.

Police confirmed they were privy to report on the planned heckling organised by an influential ODM leader in the North Rift.

"It is true there were plans to heckle the PM but we monitored the situation to take action against any person out to disrupt the rally," West Pokot OCPD David Wambua told The Standard on Sunday.

A source said a Cabinet minister had dished out money for the heckling mission.

But MPs from the region allied to the minister dismissed the claims and instead blamed his rivals for imagining the scheme to tarnish the minister’s

name.

"He has massive support in the entire region and can therefore not waste energy thinking about hiring

hecklers," said an MP on telephone.

Officers were positioned at every corner of the stadium as other officers in civilian clothes mingled with the crowd.

The source claimed the minister met with 20 civic leaders from Pokot in Eldoret, where the plot was

hatched.

One of the councillors, who attended the meeting and spoke on condition of anonymity, said they received cash and their leader was given Sh100,000 to mobilise youth to heckle the PM.

"The scheme to heckle the PM has failed because our leader went underground with the money meant to hire the youth," he said.

At the stadium, Raila accused some ministers from Rift Valley of being disrespectful to decisions of the

Cabinet and asked them to quit the Government.

"If some of the ministers are dissatisfied with what is resolved by the Cabinet, they should quit because we must observe discipline," said the PM.

Nominated MP Musa Sirma disclosed a plot by some Rift Valley leaders to use the Mau issue to move out

of ODM.

"We know their greedy plans of wanting to scuttle the party and break out using the Mau issue, but let them know the people support ODM," said Sirma.

Eldoret ODM politician Jackson Kibor seemed to read from the same script with the PM when he castigated

some disgruntled ministers of undermining the Government.

"Whatever decision agreed by the Cabinet should be respected and there is no need for some ministers

going against such decision," said Kibor.

Stolen victory

ODM chairman Henry Kosgey urged the Kalenjin community to stay in ODM.

He asked the community to support Raila’s quest for the presidency and avoid listening to leaders misleading them.

"Don’t be cheated that going alone would help the community ascend to power. Though our victory was stolen in the last General Election, let us support Raila and ODM as we did last time," urged Kosgey.

The Prime Minister was accompanied by Kosgey, Regional Development Minister Fred Gumo, Education Assistant Minister Ayiecho Olweny

and MPs Wilson Litole, Julius Murgor, and Sirma.

Earlier, Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny had dismissed Raila’s call for ministers dissatisfied with Cabinet

decisions to quit the Government.

Kutuny hosts Agriculture Minister William Ruto in Kitale today for a fund drive in aid of Anglican Church of Kenya.