THE KIPSIGIS SUPPORT RAILA ODINGA AND REJECT NOMINATION IN ODM -K BY CONSENSUS

By Leo Odera Omolo
  Kisumu
  28/06/07
 
A group of Kipsigis politicians and civic leaders in both Kericho, Bureti and Bomet have stated categorically that they will walk out of ODM – K if the Lang’ata MP Raila Odinga’s bid for the party nomination is thwarted by his other colleagues. They also took a swipe at Eldoret North MP William Ruto for allegedly betraying the Kalenjin community.

The group dismissed the political maneuvers by KANU MPs from the Rift Valley, who are allied to the Eldoret North MP William Ruto, who have been advocating for nomination by consensus.

‘’We are for the nomination by delegates who will not travel to Nairobi, but only cast their votes within their locality. And the question of expensive exercise will not be there because the selected delegates will cast their votes locally at home”, said Mr. Joel Kirui.

They divulged that the MPs allied to Ruto camp were in serious fear and panicking due to the fact that the new aspirants, who are out to oust them from their parliamentary seats, have been prominently in attendance to most of the well attended rallies addressed by Raila in their home turf. It is the MPs who have chosen to stay away from the series of rallies held recently in Kipsigis and addressed by Raila Odinga.

“We don’t come to the rescue of leaders who have lost the touch with the electorate. May be that is the reason why they are now advocating for nomination by consensus but which is undemocratic exercise. Give the electorate the chance of picking the best presidential candidate for the ODM – K”, said Pastor Hezron Cheruiyot of Kipkellion.

“We want someone who could be trusted to bring the required change. If Raila is not nominated then we shall vote for President Kibaki, who in our view has done a lot”.

As the popular saying goes, history is fond of repeating itself. If this saying is anything to go by, there is the livelihood that the old Kikuyu – Luo political alliance, which had propelled KANU to score an overwhelming election victory over its rival, the defunct KADU in 1963 may be revived soon.

A lot of behind the scene political maneuvers are going on and the much awaited nominations of ODM – K presidential candidate could spark off a big split and fallout within the opposition party.

It seems that ODM – K MPs from the Rift Valley, Ukambani and Western Province are not comfortable with the candidature of the populist Langata MP Raila Amolo Odinga and the prospect of ‘’Agwambo’’ emerging as the winner and becoming the torch bearer of the party is the cause of discontent in the ODM - K.

They have ganged up and are seen in the context of trying hard to lock Raila out of the race. But surprisingly unknown to them is the possibility of the Luos pulling out of ODM – K in the event of their man being left out and forming an alliance with Kibaki, the man all of them want to evict from state house occupancy!! Although this is an unlikely political scenario, but such a move cannot be dismissed and ruled out.

A group of Luo political elites are reported to be working on plan B strategy to ensure that the community is not locked out of the next government. The aims and objectives of the group is to urge ‘’Agwambo’’ to abandon ODM – K and rejoin President Mwai Kibaki and derail the ODM – K dream of capturing the presidency in the same fashion as what he did for KANU in 2002.

Meanwhile secrets have emerged about how the Eldoret North KANU MP, William Ruto had betrayed the Kipsigis community in particular and the larger Kalenjin ethnic group in general.

A month ago Ruto made a return visit on his campaign trail to the southern Rift Valley. A public rally was held at the historic Kapkatet centre in Bureti district which was attended by a mammoth crowd.

Twelve (12) MPs from the Rift Valley were in attendance and so were nearly all parliamentary aspirants from across the entire Kipsigis region, covering administrative districts of Kericho, Bureti and Bomet.

A resolution was passed and agreed upon that Hon. Ruto should go and negotiate with the ODM –K luminaries about securing a position of high stake for the Kalenjin community as a whole in the next government.

Rumours making the round in Kericho and its environs have it that on the very day and soon after leaving Kapkatet stadium, Ruto was airlifted in a helicopter, which belonged to a Narc – K operative, and taken directly to State House, Nairobi for what has been alleged as ‘’back door negotiation’’ to deliver the Kalenjin votes to the Mt. Kenya ruling class.

It will be remembered that a month earlier, in May this year, President Mwai Kibaki made an extensive tour of the Kipsigis region, which lasted for three days. During the tour, the President created a new Kipkellion district.

The President made numerous and generous promises, but the Kipsigis people were not excited. Sources in the region say the tour and all the promises put together did not add any value, because of the inadequate services being provided by the government and taking into account the large number of Kipsigis people who had served under the retired President Moi, who have not been received back to service during Narc government..

In any case the locals view all the development in the region as having been accomplished during the Moi KANU regime. The current government had made millions of shillings available for development through the revolving CDF, but at the same time failed to work out the proper modality for the disbursement of the full amount of funds and hence the massive looting by the local disbursing committees.

The move is seen as a big contradiction, and vote catching gimmick, like the general terms of appointment of location chiefs and their highly hiked salaries.

The community is also irked by a group which is masquerading as ‘’Kipsigis professionals’’ who had also made their way to State House a month earlier before President Kibaki’s visit to the region. The group is now openly campaigning for Kibaki’s re- election and the extension of his presidency.

But the community views the people behind these maneuvers as self seekers and opportunists. The community, however, is worried that these people could sell its people cheaply due to their greediness and selfishness!!

Ends.

leooderaomolo@yahoo.com