Raila to sell Mandazis

Prime minister Raila Odinga sustained his counter-attack on Agriculture minister William Ruto and Rift Valley Province MPs as signs of a furious gathering storm became clearer on Kenya’s political skyline.

The storm revolves around a plot by Rift MPs to enter into a pact with MPs from President Kibaki’s Party of National Unity, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka’s ODM-Kenya and Deputy Prime minister Uhuru Kenyatta’s Kanu to humiliate Raila in Parliament through a censure motion.

Answering the political group instrumental in his sterling performance in 2007 elections, and with whom he is falling out with over Mau Forest evictions, the PM said there was no going back on the Mau issue.

He also staked out his claim for the Rift Valley’s populous vote, which has stolen the eye of many top politicians seeking an alliance with Ruto in 2012, saying he had a stronger bond with its electorate.

He also indirectly admonished Rift leaders, including Ruto, who have been saying once in the PM office, Raila forsook their people.

"Those people making noise that Raila has abandoned the people who voted for him in the last elections in Rift Valley are least qualified to say so. They are thinking those people are more of theirs than they are Raila Odinga’s. They voted for me but not for those people talking the loudest. I value them so much but we must first protect the forest," he said.

Raila took on the latest in the string of political wars he has fought in his turbulent career that has always made him the talking point of the nation, as claims a censure motion against him in Parliament turned out it may not be idle threat or hot air.

Last week Uhuru and several PNU and ODM-Kenya ministers and their assistants at a fund-raiser to help those evicted from Mau. The object of criticism at this forum was Raila, something that seemed to gloss over the humanitarian concerns in Mau.

But it appears this was just the beginning because on Sunday Konoin MP Dr Julius Kones revealed MPs opposed to Raila’s leadership style and his handling of Mau issue will give notice of a vote of no-confidence against him to the Speaker of the National assembly in a fortnight.

The PM, in his traditional style when political brickbats are being hurled his way, convened a public rally in his Kibera Constituency to defend himself against their claims he is ‘inhuman’, ‘insensitive’, ‘forgetful’, ‘betrayer’ and ‘dictator’ dancing for international gallery.

He said he neither was scared nor felt threatened by the latest storm around and was prepared to go all the way with Mau conservation even if it would burn up his political career.

"I am ready to go and bake mandazi with my people in Kibera if conserving Mau will kill my political career," he said.

He dared his critics saying he would not live in fear even of no-confidence motion against his position as premier.

"ODM is a very strong party. I am still in charge and those who try to go astray, I will make sure they toe the line according to party policies," he warned hours after asking ministers dissatisfied with how the government was working to resign.

The PM defended himself against accusations his actions in Mau depicted him as dictator.

"Some are accusing Raila of being a dictator, a dictator against whom and on what?" he asked.

He added: "What Raila is doing is merely carrying out a Government exercise. The government is not Raila’s."

He denied claims the government was being too brutal in carrying out the exercise.

"We are fair and we have not harassed anybody as claimed by some disgruntled leaders. The government is made up of human beings and we are carrying out the exercise in humane manner?" he assured.

The PM said the Kanu government annexed about 150,000 acres of the forest and allocated influential personalities before ordinary Kenyans flooded the place.

He however assured Kenyans the government will respect those with title deeds and promised to have them compensated to enable them construct new homes elsewhere.

Confessions the Rift Valley MP on the plot against Raila came as Ruto’s key backers in the province — Charles Keter (Bureti) Mr Joshua Kutuny (Cherangany), Mr Boaz Kaino (Marakwet West) and Elijah Lagat (Emgwen) — toured Western Kenya to openly seek an alliance they said would help plug the hole most likely to be left following falling-out with Raila, and by extension the people of Nyanza. They were hosted by Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo who, though he did not name Raila, left no doubt he was the target of his vitriolic attack. Keter brought to the fund-raiser Sh100,000 from Ruto.

The Rift Valley MPs further hit out at Deputy Prime Minister and Sabatia MP Musalia Mudavadi claiming he has continued working against the Luhya community’s quest for the top seat.

"In 2002, you almost ascended to the Presidency but you were let down by someone who still believes today Raila has to be President first then he can follow suit," said Kuttuny.

Kones confessed consultations were in top gear between ODM MPs and those from President Kibaki’s Party of National Unity to topple Raila.

An MP privy to the motion and who did not want to be named because of its sensitivity conceded the mover of the motion will be an MP from outside Rift Valley so as to deflect speculation Ruto was the architect.

Kones said that MPs from across the political divide were not happy with Raila’s recent pronouncement that Parliament was interfering with the predicting this could work against him when the motion comes up in the House.

Separately, Roads minister Franklin Bett appeared to change tack when he said the basis of his strong statements on Mau and solidarity with other Rift MPs was out of humanitarian not political reasons.

As he seemingly appeared to be easing away from Ruto’s vice-like grip of Kalenjin MPs, Bett criticised a section of community’s MPs he claimed were using the humanitarian crisis Mau evictees are facing to gain political mileage.

"It is sad the leaders of Rift Valley have been stereotyped to an extent that when (Agriculture minister) William Ruto and Joshua Kuttuny speak it is imagined they carry opinion of all which is a lie," said the minister.