From: Leo Odera Omolo
Date: Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 5:14 AM

Report By Leo Oera Omolo In Kisumu City

The United Democratic Movement, one of the few political parties considered to have harvested reasonable following in the Rift Valley Province, second only to ODM, has registered its vehement opposition to the recently crowned Kalenjin Council of Elders, and cautioned its members to watch out and not to allow themselves to be manipulated and misused by the over-ambitious politicians.

UDM National Chairman, Lt.Gen {rtd} John Arap Koec said the idea of having Kalenjin Council of Elders is noble and most welcome, but the organization must resist any attempt to have its members manipulated by those Rift Valley politicians nursing presidential ambition.

Gen. Koech commenting on the controversial formation of a new look Kalenjin Council of Elders, which took place in Eldoret last weekend and said, the Kalenjin community used to have Elders whose responsibilities and operations were strictly confined to the villages. They used to arbitrate on families squabbles, resolving debts and dowry issues as well as land disputes. But their activities were strictly confined to the villages where they lived.

The community did not have a Council of Elders whose mandate extended into other sub-tribes and communities.

He said he was glad and happy with the new Council, but it must confine its activities to giving guidance on the community cultural virtue and steer clear of politics. If its mandate is misused and it allows its members to play a role n the murky waters of Kenya’s politics, then it is bound to fail.

The Council must also thrive to cultivate good relations between the Kalenjin and other Kenyan communities for peaceful co-existence, and development of all Kenyans. It must not be misused to antagonize other communities, as the community needs all Kenyans. Gen Koech said he had no quarrel with those who were elected to lead the Council, but he felt the previous holders of the office should have been retained into the new outfit so as to give the Council legitimacy. Their unceremonious removal from the office, and utterances by some politicians is only pointing out to the degree of political manipulation.

”The Council must be seen to be free from those young politicians nursing over-ridding presidential ambition in the year 2012”, he said, adding that the responsibilities of Kalenjin elders were confined to solving petty land disputes, dowry disputes and many other issues at the village level. Giving the new outfit a national outlook give credence to the complaints already raised in some quarters.

“UDM”, said the General, “is ready to work with any political party whose leaders are like minded and as such not intimidated by the creation of the new Kalenjin Council of Elders. It has huge following outside the Kalenjin domain and would soon launch a massive membership drive in all other Provinces in this country. We gave ODM and KANU as well as PNU a good account for ourselves during the recent by-elections in the Rift Valley where our party emerged the second everywhere, garnering votes which placed it in the position of respectability, and we shall continue soldiering on”.

Those running back and seeking tribal support for their presidential ambitions will soon find themselves to be irrelevant in modern Kenyan politics”, the General cautioned.

He advised politician to work towards harmonization of inter-communal relations and to avoid issuing fire-spitting public pronouncement which incites Kenyan against one another. “God gave us this country, and we must find the way how to live here harmoniously”, said the General.

ENDS

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com
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Subject: UDM REACTION TO THE FORMATION A NEW LOOK KALENJIN COUNCIL OF ELDERS. URGES THE BODY NOT TO ALLOW ITSELF TO BE MANIPULATED BY OVER AMBITIOUS POLITICIANS