Photo/FILE Prime Minister Raila Odinga addresses residents in Murang’a East District, central Kenya on June 14, 2009.
By PATRICK NZIOKA pnzioka@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Saturday, October 22 2011 at 22:36
Posted Saturday, October 22 2011 at 22:36
When the office of the Prime Minister issued a communication cancelling a planned tour of Nyeri County, the explanation given was that the visit would disrupt candidates sitting the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) examinations.
“Instead the PM will chair a security committee meeting tomorrow and later chair a meeting on Lamu Port and northern corridor development,” the statement read.
The PM’s spokesman, Mr Dennis Onyango, told the Sunday Nation by telephone that the PM’s handlers had advised him to push the visit to next month on a date to be confirmed.
Earlier, Mr Onyango had sent out media alerts on the tour as well as the PM’s itinerary throughout the weekend that would take him to the Coast.
He explained that the Nyeri tour was cancelled as some of the rallies would have taken place in schools, which would have been disruptive to the ongoing examinations.
But earlier information, confirmed by the provincial administration, indicated that the PM would only do a road show around the county.
The trip, dubbed as a working tour, would have started in Othaya where Mr Odinga was expected to land in a chopper and address the people. (READ: PM adopts new 2012 strategy)
He would then have driven to Mukurweini, Mathira, Kieni and finally Nyeri Town constituencies where he was expected to have lunch with leaders and also tour the Nyeri Provincial General Hospital.
Conspicuously out of the PM’s itinerary was Tetu constituency whose MP FT Nyamu is said to get along well with the PM.
Investigations by the Sunday Nation indicated Mr Odinga’s tour may have been cancelled for different reason other than those given by the PM’s office.
Sources said that remarks by the Prime Minister in court that President Kibaki should take personal and political responsibility for the 2007/8 post-election violence was the main reason for the cancellation. (READ: Raila blames Kibaki for police killings)
It was feared that the ground, being President Kibaki’s home, would be hostile to the PM. Although the PM’s office issued a quick rejoinder arguing that Mr Odinga’s answers in court had been taken out of context, the damage had already been done.
Control damage
Cabinet minister Esther Murugi was categorical that the visit was postponed to control the damage caused by the utterances although the PM’s spokesman differs:
“We made our statement on the same and postponing the trip has nothing to do with what was said. After KCSE in November, a date will be set when the PM can do the tour,” Mr Onyango said.
When word went round that the PM would be visiting, local leaders were at a loss on how to handle the situation.
The political class was especially nervous as the visit came only a few days after the President held a thanksgiving prayer meeting there and failed to give any indication how his succession would play out.
Those the Sunday Nation spoke to said the trip was going to be real hot potato. None of the politicians wanted to risk being seen as bending over to the Prime Minister.
Their fear was that the political risk would have been too high especially in an area where the President’s word is law.
Secondly, the county is strongly gravitating towards Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta who seems to hold a lot of sway there. Leaders say they are only waiting for Mr Kenyatta to indicate the direction they should vote.
As an indication of the nervousness surrounding the trip, local leaders held a meeting in Othaya to lay down strategies on how to deal with the issue.
Nothing much came out of the meeting with those in attendance only saying they would meet Mr Odinga as PM and listen to what he had to say, adding that he was free to visit any part of the country.
Although the visit was publicised as a working tour, the Sunday Nation established that as late as Wednesday, the provincial administration had scanty information on the issue, a situation which heightened the jitters yet they were supposed to welcome the PM as well as provide other logistics.
When contacted Regional PC Anne Ng’etich said she was only aware that the PM would be visiting and was also waiting for more information from Mr Odinga’s office.
Another issue was the involvement of Mr Peter Kuguru, who is not an elected leader, in planning the visit while overlooking elected leaders, raising suspicions as the motive of the trip.
Sought assistance
It is understood that Mr Odinga was to have breakfast in Mr Kuguru’s home while in Mathira.
The Sunday Nation learnt that Mr Kuguru had sought the government’s assistance through the provincial administration to have the road to his home improved for the PM’s smooth ride.
But in an interview, Mr Kuguru said Mr Odinga would be on an official tour which he would have joined after invitation by the PM who is his friend. This was corroborated by the PM’s spokesman who said the tour was not political.
But Mr Kuguru was categorical Mr Odinga and ODM would have tried to gain political mileage during the trip.
“There is nothing wrong in getting political mileage just like any other politician because if it were not for the purpose of getting political mileage we would not engage in development projects,” Mr Kuguru said.
Earlier, before the tour was postponed, Ms Murugi, who is the Nyeri Town MP, was candid she would not be attending the function saying she would be in Kisii for another event.
She took issue with the manner of invitation saying she got a letter from the PM’s permanent secretary, Dr Mohammed Isahakia, informing her of the planned visit and the itinerary.
She was also unhappy that elected leaders from the county were not involved in the planning in favour of Mr Kuguru.
Mukurweini MP and assistant minister Kabando wa Kabando, who was initially reluctant to welcome Mr Odinga to his constituency, later said he would be in his constituency to welcome the PM.
He said he would raise concerns about reduced funds for roads and water projects for the constituency. “If it is not an ODM tour, then he is welcome to Mukurweini,” he said.
The Sunday Nation also established that the proposed upgrade of the Nyeri Provincial Hospital at a cost of Sh3.5 billion by the Chinese government was becoming a political issue.
The hospital was one of the facilities Mr Odinga was meant to tour and there was real fear he would announce the upgrade and take credit for it.
Such fears allegedly prompted Ms Murugi to rush to the constituency to pre-empt the PM.
She told the residents during Mashujaa Day celebrations that she was instrumental in soliciting the money to upgrade the hospital and that work would begin in 18 months.
“The money needed was a lot, and after it was realised that it could not be raised by the government, I was given the mandate by the President to look for it,” the minister told the gathering.
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