TAKES UP

Higher Education minister William Ruto has vowed to continue opposing the draft constitution despite his removal from the glamorous Agriculture docket.

Mr Ruto also confirmed that he would take up his new cabinet post, laying to rest speculation that he was planning to reject the new appointment and resign from government altogether.

“If that was the intention, then it will not work,” Mr Ruto responded when journalists asked whether his transfer was due to his opposition to the draft constitution.

There had been speculation that Mr Ruto would turn down the new appointment and resign after he failed to show up at the Higher Education Ministry headquarters at Jogoo House Thursday morning.

Mr Ruto had instead reported to his former office at Kilimo House early in the morning and collected his personal effects before retreating to his private office in the city centre. His aides told Nation that he had spent the rest of the morning meeting his close allies, among them former South Mugirango MP Omingo Magara. He also took some time planning his weekend itinerary, which includes a tour of the South Rift Friday morning and a meeting in his constituency set for either tomorrow or Sunday.

He later called a press conference at Kilimo House in the afternoon to announce that he had accepted his new appointment.

“I will be taking over my responsibilities at the Ministry of Higher education shortly,” Mr Ruto announced while flanked by acting Agriculture Permanent Secretary Mr Kiritu Wamae and senior ministry officials.

The Eldoret North MP was on Wednesday transferred to the new ministry in a mini reshuffle that was seen as the culmination of his supremacy battle with Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

The Presidential Press Service (PPS) bulletin announcing the mini reshuffle said the changes had been made after consultations between President Kibaki and the Prime Minister.

The reshuffle also saw Mr Ruto’s close ally, Belgut MP Charles Keter sacked as energy assistant minister and his post given to Kipkelion MP Magerer Langat, a staunch supporter of the PM.

“You should direct that question to the two principals,” Mr Ruto responded when asked why he had been moved from the Agriculture docket.

Asked whether he had been informed of the changes prior to the announcement, Mr Ruto answered: “Let us not go there.”

Further prodded to state whether he read politics in the changes coming only two months after he was suspended by the PM only to be reinstated by President Kibaki, he replied: “You live in this country and knows what happens, your guess is as good as mine.”

Commenting on Mr Keter’s sacking, the minister said he had spoken to him and encouraged him to take it in his stride.

“As to my pal Charles Keter, he is man enough to understand that this is politics and in politics, you expect anything. I spoke to him this morning and he was psychologically prepared,” Mr Ruto stated.

The minister maintained that it was wrong to subject the proposed constitution to Kenyans at the national referendum without changing contentious clauses.

He said that it was still possible for the contentious clauses to be changed before the document is subjected to Kenyans.

“If we changed the constitution to accommodate the grand coalition government in one afternoon, why can’t we change this one?” he wondered.

Mr Ruto has accused those campaigning for the passing of the document during the referendum without any changes of taking advantage of Kenyans’ desperation for a new constitution to give them a bad document.

His stand has seen him break ranks with both the President and the PM who insist that the document should be passed during the referendum and amended later.

Mr Ruto said he was leaving the Agriculture ministry a proud man, having set in motion several programmes aimed at transforming the sector.

He enumerated some of his achievements at the ministry during his stint, among them the ongoing government scheme to put one million acres under irrigation over the next five years and the reduction of prices of farm inputs to turn agriculture into a profitable venture.

Mr Ruto said he viewed his transfer to the Higher Education ministry as a challenge which he will take up with zeal.

“I am looking forward to working with the academia, I see it as a challenge which I intend to take up,” He said.