15Th August, 2007
     
RAILA ODINGA’S EUPHORIA AND WAVES OF SUPPORT IN KIPSIGIS LAND UNSTOPPABLE DESPITE MOI’S INTERVENTION

By Kipsiele Arap Sugurut (Leo Odera Omolo)

The big split in the original ODM-K, the re- emergence of KANU as a political entity, separated from the dead coalition of parties, which were previously united under ODM-K, is likely to affect the re election of many MPs currently in the 9th parliament.

The most affected would definitely be the KANU MPs from the South Rift, who seemed to have abandoned both the two factions of Orange Democratic Movements; one that is led by Raila Odinga and the other led by those allied to the Mwingi South MP, Kalonzo Musyoka.

KANU sitting MPs, especially those from the Southern Rift stand an awkward chance of defending their seats come December 2007 General elections. Fears now persist that nearly all the ten current legislators from the Kipsigis region, who have trooped back to KANU under Uhuru Kenyatta, would not make it back to the August house.

This is because the region is now the stronghold of Raila Odinga’s newly found ODM party. And the fact that the Eldoret North MP William RUTO is stuck with Raila led ODM, has worsened the KANU MP’s position as far as their re-election is concerned.

ODM is the party of the day.

The whole of Kipsigis region is now the stronghold of ODM. And the combination of Raila, Henry Kosgey, Kipkalia Kones and Franklin Bett in ODM will be a hard nut to crack.

Secondly, most of the MPs were closely associated with Ruto. They had been drumming up support for Ruto in his bid for the original ODM-K presidential nomination.

The ten MPs from the Kipsigis region include John K Koech(Chepalungu), Paul K. Sang(Buret), Antony Kimeto(Sotik), Sammy Koech(Konoin), Charles Keter(Belgut), Noah N. Arap Too(Ainamoi) and Dr. Sammy Ruto(Kipkellion).

There are several issues which have remained unresolved in this region, particularly the contentious land issue, which witnessed thousands of Kalenjin families (squatters) being ejected from the Mau Forest area.

The KANU regime of retired President Daniel Arap Moi had marginalized the Kipsigis community for a long time. Moi’s tactics of use and dump against the Kipsigis leaders are still fresh in the minds of political elites within the community.

The Kipsigis people are viewing Moi’s participation in active politics, and his contribution in bringing down the vibrant former ODM-K, as an attempt to force them to vote for another Kikuyu president, in the same fashion as he did it with unsuccessful Uhuru Kenyatta project of the year 2002.

Insiders believe Moi has never forgiven Raila Odinga for the alleged involvement in the 1982 foiled military attempted coup against his government. This is the crux of the matter.

Moi is also reported to be very bitter with Raila for having brought his twenty four year uninterrupted reign of power down in the year 2002, abruptly ending KANU’s forty years of uninterrupted rule.

Some opinion that the former president had partly forgiven Raila and gave him Kisumu Molasses plant worth over one billion shillings plus 100 acres of land for a paltry 80 million shillings. However, others believe that all these were post political maneuvers to entice Raila to support his government.

It is believed that the former president had also oiled Raila Odinga’s hand with a colossal amount of money when the two reached a rapport which culminated in LDP and KANU merging before the year 2002 general elections, and the appointment of the Langata MP to a ministerial position in the short lived KANU-LDP government.

And ever since all these events, Moi has always remained suspicious and cautious about “Agwambo” ambition and leadership style.

He has of late been criss- crossing the entire Kalenjin region, cautioning that the community to be aware of Raila’s political mechanization; telling his people that they should vote for President Kibaki another five years term.

Well known as a political schemer per excellence, Moi who is also nicknamed the Professor of politics, is said to nursing long term strategies that when Kibaki’s second terms ends in 2012, his pet project Uhuru Kenyatta would take over as the next President. His reasoning being that in the absence of Kibaki in Central Province, especially Kikuyu politics, Mr. Kenyatta will face no challenges for the nation’s next leadership in Kikuyu land . In the event of this unlikely event, his preferred son Gideon Moi would automatically settle in the Vice President’s position under Mr. Kenyatta.

The former head of state has obviously underestimated the intelligence of the Kalenjin masses. It is a case of total miscalculation, particularly when it is taken into account that the younger generation of Kalenjins have no place for Moi’s political machinations. The former President has made a big blunder, not having assessed the latest political inclinations in Kalenjin land, and the emerging radicalism among the youth and intellectuals.

In Kipsigis land, all those MPs who have trooped back to KANU will be shown the exit door. New aspirants and mostly former and nominated MPs allied to Raila Odinga ODM would carry the day.

The hitherto conservative Kipsigis people have grown radicals in the footsteps of their neighboring Nandis and Luos.

And men to watch in Kipsigis land are Kipkalia Kones (Bomet), Justice Kemei (Belgut), Andrew Lang’at (Kenois), Lt. Gen (rtd) John Koech (Ainamoi), Zakayo Z. Cheruiyot (Kuresoi), former P.C Sigei (Sotik), Pastor Hezron Cheruiyot (Kipkelion) and Franklin Bett (Buret).

Raila Odinga’s wave in Kipsigis land is unstoppable. The community still blames Moi for not having helped them acquire large scale tea plantations still held by multinational companies.

The Kipsigis blame Moi for having favoured their cousins from North Rift. They blame the present Kibaki reforms for having sacked many senior Kipsigis personalities and individuals from key government jobs and parastatal organizations.

The campaign for Kibaki re-election to the presidency will be an uphill task in Kipsigis land

Ends
leooderaomolo@yahoo.com