Political News Analysis By Leo Odera Omolo In Kisumu City

KENYA’S Prime Minister, Raila Amolo Odinga, who is also the ODM supreme party leader, last week came out and made a bold no nonsense statement telling his fellow party MPs who, were not satisfied with being members of the ODM, to quit now.

He told a meeting of the party National Executive members, held at the Bomas of Kenya last Friday, that the party leadership will not be intimidated.

The PM, however, restrained himself from name – calling, but political pundits were quick to draw the conclusion that Raila was referring to a group of rebel MPs, particularly those from the Kalenjin community who are aligned to the suspended Higher Education Minister William Ruto.

Furthermore, it became apparent that Mr Odinga’s remarks were in apparent reference to the party Deputy Leader William Ruto, who is the MP for Eldoret North, and his cronies who have lost no chance in recent past threatening to decamp from the ODM.

Some of the MPs immediately made a rejoinder saying there was no point in having them pushed out of the party and yet they have long left on their own volition

Most of the Kalenjin MPs allied to Ruto had skipped the Friday NEC meeting.”We do not want there to be any individual who wishes to leave the party to stay on. If one is tired of being an ODM member or leader they are free to quit,” said Mr Odinga.

Thre hard-hitting statement by Raila followed the recent events in which a group of pro-Ruto politicians in the Rift Valley had ganged up and sponsored the coup that reportedly ousted the national chairman of the United Democratic Movement, Lt Gen {rtd} John Arap Koech

Gen Koech, who is being accused of being a staunch supporter of Raila Odinga, was replaced by a perennial parliamentary election loser in Buret constituency, in the County of Kericho, Joseph Arap Chirchir, the retired former long serving national chairman of the Kenya National Union of Teachers {KNUT}.

The take over, which was described by Gen Koech as “illegal and unconstitutional is widely believed to have been sponsored by Ruto and his brigade so that the suspended Higher Education Minister could use the UDM as a fallback party in case the worse comes and his strained relations with Raila goes out of possible reconciliation.

Odinga told his colleagues that “the ODM is an institution and as such cannot be derailed on its grand match to the State House come 2012 by few individuals. Even if Raila Odinga himself quit the ODM, the party will still remain intact.”

Raila has for sometime been quiet and refused to be drawn into controversies with his fellow party MPs in spite of repeated provocative public utterances by the likes of Ruto, Joshua Kutuny, Isaac Ruto and other MPs allied to Ruto. This may be so because the prime Minister, who for many years was known as a radical and non nonsense politician with sharp tongue, has transformed himself from a radical politician to a true statesman, always weighing his words before opening up.

Reports making the round in both North and Southern Rift regions, however, indicating that nearly all those ODM MPs who have already publicly expressed their intention to quit the party for a green pasture elsewhere, have people of their equal political strength strategically positioned by the political vacuum positions should they choose to decamp from the party that had sponsored them to Parliament.

The party loyalists are said to have been engaged in secret recruiting missions, which have already netted powerful individuals in various constituencies in readiness to take the rebel MPs head-on, should the choose to quit prematurely before the dissolution of the current parliament, which in accordance to the new constitution would require such MPs to relinquish their parliamentary seats to be followed by the by-elections.

However, the controversy surrounding the latest Kalenjin politics in the Rift Valley has gone a notch higher. And this could derail Ruto’s planned soft landing onto UDM.

The retired President Daniel Arap Moi who is believed to be still the darling of the Kalenjin has cautioned the community against forming more political parties, saying this would fuel more disagreement.

Mo,i who was speaking at the Kericho High Bible School last week end, dismissed the leaders fronting for the formation of new political parties, and urged them to either remained where they are or rejoin the party of independence KANU to strengthen it in preparation for the year 2012 general election.

Moi also urged the Rift Valley leaders to refrain from making enmities with other communities as this could increase their alienation. He made it clear that Kalenjin leaders seeking to form another political party did not have the interest of the residents at heart. Instead he urged them to rejoin KANU party in en mass, the party that would sufficiently care for their future political needs

The retired President was reacting to the recent declaration by MP allied to the suspended Higher Education Minister who is currently facing various criminal court cases related to the allegations of Land frauds, that they would soon decamp ODM and form another party that William Ruto will use to seek the presidency in 2012.would soon going to be unveiled before the end f the year.

Gen Koech, the one was who ws instrumental for Raila Odinga, mounted a vigorous campaign against President Kibaki in the South Rift. The former Deputy Chie of the General Staff, late contested the Ainamoi parliamentary seat in Kericho, but was allegedly rigged out twice by Ruto and his cronies. He quickly jumped out of the ODM boat and reorganized the hitherto run down and sleeping UDM and was made its national chairman.

Ruyto is alleged to have planned to use the UDM as a fallback party in the likely event of him and Raila falling out of favor with each other. But it later became difficult to manipulate the party leaders with the Gen on the steering seat of the party. Means and ways had to be found of kicking the general out first, in favor of some insignificant Ruto political surrogate, so has to pave the way for his {Ruto’s} soft landing back to the party.

For some time Ruto has been flirting with the UDM Secretary General Francis Ole Kamwaro with whom they had appeared together on the same platform at the various public gatherings hinting some thing fish was on the offing.

Those who reacted to Raila’s comment included Emngwen MP Elijah Lagat, Konoin MP Dr Julias Kones,Baringo Central MP Sammy Mwaita. They denied that Ruto had not interfered with the ODM activities though he is still the party deputy leader.

Lagat added that ODM would be a party of choice for everyone if its leadership avoided the dictatorial tendencies – – a replica of what was witnessed during the one party rule in Kenya.

“There is nothing new in Raila’s statement. It does not hold any water. He has indicated so in private. The only difference is that he has made public his wish”, said Lagat.

It is widely speculated that Ruto and his allies are only buying time before decamping to the little known UDM. But the law says that if Ruto and his allies were to formerly quit the ODM now, they would lose their parliamentary seats in line with the Political Parties Act under the new constitution.

Since his suspension from the Cabinet on October 19, Ruto has indicated that he would give his supporters new political direction by the end of this year.

But last week Raila, who of late is reported to be restraining his party officials from ejecting Ruto and his cronies from the party, hinted that the ODM elections would be held early next year in order to weed out rebels from the party hierarchy and structures.

“Even as we grapple with the new reality of a marriage of convenience with our competitors, PNU, we must not lose our focus.” Said Raila.

He scathingly criticized the ODM rebel MPS who opposed the new constitution. Ruto and his partners vigorously campaigned against the new constitution during the referendum voting, which the majority of voters endorsed on August 4,2010.

OPM branch chairmen countrywide attended last Friday’s meeting. It was also attended by over 70 MPs who included the Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi, the Secretary General Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o,National chairman Henry Kosgey, Co-operative Development Minister Joseph Nyagah Tourism Minister Najib Balala,Sports Minister Dr Paul Otuoma.Public Service Minister Dalmas Otenoi,National Heritage Minister William Ole Ntimama Roads Minister Chris Obure, Minister Mohamed Elmi,Lands Minister James Orengo and the arty National Organizing Secretary Hassan Joho.

But group of Kericho town based politicians have called on rebel ODM MPS to quit and vacate their seats now, so that by elections to refill the vacant seat could be held,

Led by a nominated Kericho Municipality Council member, Nicholas Tum, the group said ODM is gaining a lot of strength in the region despite of being stabbed at the back by the rebel MPS. “We now dare them to resign and vacate their seats. We shall fill the vacant seat with the new faces of politicians”. said Tum, adding that those underrating the ODMN strength in the South Rift are doing so at their own peril.

Ends

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com