Writes Leo Odera Omolo In Kericho Town
DESPITE the highly over dramatized concocted information about the impending mass exodus of Kalenjin from the ODM to greener pasture elsewhere, the popularity of the Prime Minister Raila Odinga among the ordinary members of that community remained intact.
All the hullabaloo have come about following the realization, by some of the MPs from the region, particularly those who were now classified as the renegade ODM, that they likely would lose their seats in the forthcoming general election.
The hostility, between Raila Odinga an the Kalenjin ODM MPs, is also fueled by the fact that money has covertly been poured into the region by some invisible forces who are said to be deploying every trick in the books to block Mr Odinga’s grand match to the State House come the year 2012.
The residents of the South Rift region with two Counties of Kericho and Bomet still maintains that Mr Odinga is the upright and straightforward leader, under whose presidency, Kenya could achieve the meaningful changes in governance.
The popular saying among the residents of the South Rift region, the majority being members of the Kipsigis a sub-tribe of the larger Kalenjin ethnic groups and the most populous, is that Mr Odinga should reshuffle the cabinet, especially his side of the coalition government, bring on board Hon Musa Sirma the nominated MP and make the Road Minister Franklin Bett his running-mate in 2012 presidential election.
The majority of the residents of the South Rift viewed the existing sharp political differences, between Mr Odinga and the suspended Higher Education Minister William Ruto, as being “personal” and as such cannot drive the entire community out of the ODM which is the party of choice in the region.
This particular community appeared to have a distaste for the migratory kind of politics, which they say is being introduced into Kalenjin politics by Hon William Ruto, the suspended Higher Education Minister, including those of forming amorphous alliances such as Kamatusa and KKK.
The youthful and much confused Kalenjin MPs in the 10th Parliament are not engaged in the war of attrition with Mr Odinga for nothing. Rathere, they are working hard to ensure that they had shares in the election logistics and millions of shillings alleged to be floated around for grab by anti-Odinga elements with and outside the coalition government.
The Kipsigis have also dismissed the idea, recently coined into Kenya’s politics, that demand that the old guards must vacate political leadership and concede it to the youth. The proponates of this policy are Willian Ruto and the Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa. .But the two had no past good credence to make suggestion owing to their dubious past and non contribution to the second liberation efforts that resulted in the new constitution. The two have been the happy riders in the past.
The blame games, being heaped on Mr Odinga by the disgruntled Kalenjin MPs, were termed as “Fitinas malice’ by James Maritim, a Litein politician in Bureti district. He exonerated the Prime Minister on accusation that he had a hand on the picking up of the Ocampo Six, who are to be tried in the Hague, on suspicion of having masterminded the post election violence of 2008.
Mr. Odinga, he went on, is not a prosecutor nor is he operating from Ocampo’s offices in the Hague.The blame games are even being extended to cover cases of land grabbing and other criminal offences committed by individual long before Mr Odinga joined the coalition government with President Kibaki as one of its principals. “This is rather childish, said J. Koech of Kapsoit in Belgut.
Koech was explicit that Mr Odinga should elevate his hardworking colleague Hon Franklin Bett to the vacant position of the Deputy Leader of the ODM and party’s presidential election running-mate next because the Minister had remained steadfastly in the party and maintains unshaken loyalty to Mr.Odinga.
Meanwhile it was learnt that many youthful and resourceful individuals in the South Rift region have come forward with intent to contest various ODM positions and the branches, counties and national election from the. This is a clear reflection that the party is still very popular among the Kipsigis people.
And when the election proper time comes up the current MP will face some of the toughest opposition ever seen in this region. We shall put forward candidates of their equal strength and ensure they go into political limbo. Some of the MP are said to have gone under ground not to be seen anywhere in public in fear of having confrontations with members of the public.
Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
Hi,
Just a general comment in relation to the fall out betwen ODM and some MPS from the Rift valley.Take the case of Sally Kosgei she of the Nyayo times and the comment she made in that political parties and decisions are the preserve of the voters and if they decide that she tags them to lead her up the mountain and down swamps and thorn bushes she will bend to their pressure.That shows the type of friends the PM has being keeping who when things get tough they chicken out instead of explaining to them the folly of following individuals blindly,its good to survive politically but also but the bullet sometimes and be firm and the public will appreciate you as firm and decisive.
T.M.Nzissi.
It is better to lose an election than to follow somebody blindly and throw away your convictions and principles in the process, just to get votes. A case in point is the recent happenings in the U.S.A. A number of democratic law makers recently lost their house and senate seats simply because they had earlier voted for the healthcare initiative. This was meant to help 30 million americans who did not have health insurance walk into into any hospital when they are ill with dignity… what a noble thing!! However the ‘rich’ republicans felt this would take too much of their hard earned money and so booted them out. To me these law makers stood up to bigotry and made history. Who knows, Raila may just be the person to take Kenyans to the next level and make history for our beloved country. Why deny him the opportunity simply because he disagreed with your man?
calling rift Mps confused,for having diverging views,hero worshipping Pm is moronic and barbaric.Remember that these Mps was voted in to take care of the interest of their constituents,both for economicic development and shape their political destiny and not an individual who just want to ride on their back to presidency….Am realy disgusted by the demeaning manner u present your argument as if u have the monopoly of of wisdom! we should exercise tolerance to achieve much needed cohesion in the country