Ruto breaks ranks with ODM

http://www.topix.com/forum/ke/nairobi/T8LT9C8MTTOE6CDGQ
Agriculture Minister and ODM deputy leader William Ruto has broken ranks with hi
s party and told off its disgruntled MPs to shape up or ship out.
Ruto said this even as it emerged that a new political alliance between himself
and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta could be in the offing.
Ruto led Rift Valley MPs in roundly condemning their party’s demand that the power
sharing accord for the grand coalition be renegotiated.
Speaking at a fundraising at Chematich Secondary School in Cherangany on Sunday,
Ruto challenged "dissatisfied ODM MPs" to quit the Grand Coalition Government.
He accused the disgruntled ODM MPs of frustrating the working spirit of the coal
ition.
"We should be talking about hunger, the failing education standards and not the
improper sharing of power," said Ruto.
To prove that he would be willing to go it alone, Ruto further challenged the di
ssatisfied ODM MPs to quit the coalition as "individuals instead of threatening
that the party was about to withdraw from Government".
Ruto, who was accompanied by several ODM MPs, said the current government had a
mandate of five years to serve Kenyans.
Fair share
The Rift Valley MPs drove their message even more clearly yesterday when they jo
ined Ruto at yet another fundraising at Kapsabet Showground in Emgwen Constituen
cy of Nandi District, where they made it clear that they would quickly take up C
abinet positions if their ODM colleagues walked out of the coalition.
And even as ODM pushes for a fair share of government positions in the coalition
, the Rift Valley MPs re-opened dispute over the sharing of government positions
among their party members.
The MPs included Assistant ministers Charles Keter, William Cheptumo and Aden Du
ale.
Others were area MPs Elijah Lagat, Magerer Langat (Kepkelion), David Koech (Moso
p), Peris Simam (Eldoret South), Jackson Kiptanui (Keiyo South), Charles Keter (
Belgut), Julius Kones (Konoin), Lucas Chepkitony (Keiyo North), David Koech (Mos
op), Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny, nominated MP Musa Sirma, Isaac Ruto and politi
cian Alex Kosgey.
The possibility of the alliance between Ruto and Uhuru — and possibly Vice-Preside
nt Kalonzo Musyoka — was given credence by Assistant minister Kareke Mbiuki, who s
ensationally revealed that he had been involved in meetings between the two and
that a political union was in the offing.
Mbiuki disclosed that Uhuru and Ruto had met and worked on a possible political
alliance.
Mbiuki, a close ally of the Finance minister, said majority of Central Kenya MPs
—including the chairman of the region’s Parliamentary caucus Ephraim Maina, who is
also the Mathira MP — were in support of Uhuru’s move to forge an alliance with Ruto
.
Mbiuki said he had mediated talks between Uhuru and Ruto, which could result in
a key political partnership in the run-up to the 2012 General Elections.
Speaking at Ngunga Primary School in his Nithi constituency where he distributed
relief food to residents of the remote Igamba Ng’ombe division on Sunday, Mbiuki
said the two had been holding meetings aimed at a political union.
"Mr Ruto is my minister while Mr Kenyatta is my party chairman. Both of them are
youthful and have a long history in Kanu. I relate with them well. I have been
the middleman in talks that could result in a major political alliance," said th
e Nithi MP. He hinted that the alliance would also include the Vice-President.
Efforts to reach Ruto about Mbiuki’s claims were unsuccessful as his mobile phone
went unanswered.
The ODM MPs from the North and South Rift region who attended the Ruto function
said those demanding re-negotiations should tell Kenyans of their political inte
nsions.
Mr Lagat dared those who wanted to quit the coalition saying, "We will move in s
wiftly and replace them as soon as they quit."
Isaac Ruto said if fresh negotiations will be done, then a third principal shoul
d be engaged because "the half a loaf ODM received was not fairly distributed."
Kutuny said if there was to be any renegotiations, then the distribution of the
half loaf in ODM should first be addressed.
Simmering rows
"The party should not be personalized. It belongs to all Kenyans and there shoul
d be fairness," Kuttuny said, revealing the simmering rows within ODM.
Ruto said "As leaders we must strive to focus our energies to develop the countr
y by addressing pertinent issues affecting Kenyans," said Ruto.
Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny and nominated MP Musa Sirma said some MPs had hatche
d a plot to weaken and destroy the coalition. They vowed to stick to the princip
les of the one-year-old grand coalition.
"Those out to scuttle the grand coalition have a hidden agenda and we challenge
them to declare their interests without compromising the party," said Kutuny.
Duale said ODM MPs from Rift Valley, Coast, Western and North Eastern would prot
ect the coalition and termed those agitating for its collapse as daydreamers.
The Agriculture minister censured his Cabinet colleagues for allegedly abdicatin
g their responsibilities and instead wasting time in unnecessary and unhealthy p
olitical talk.
Ruto’s sentiments were echoed by nine MPs at the function who also dismissed threa
ts by their colleagues to quit the Government.
"It is an unrealistic plot to return the country backwards when we have many cha
llenges to overcome," said Ruto.
The MPs said ODM was a senior partner in the coalition and would not pull out of
Government.
They termed the quit threats orchestrated by some MPs from Nyanza province as mi
splaced.
This is a clear breakaway from ODM’s National Executive Council (NEC) that kicked
off the storm last week by demanding that the coalition National Accord be re-ne
gotiated to provide for a 50-50 stake for their party and PNU.
Addressing a press conference then, ODM Secretary-General Anyang’ Nyongo said the
party was tired of staying in a marriage where their rights were being ignored.