Nairobi — Three Cabinet ministers and an MP have defended the Vice-President, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, following attacks by ODM leader, Mr Raila Odinga.

The leaders told Raila to embrace dialogue and stop dictating who should represent the Government in peace talks.

Mr Martha Karua (Justice and Constitutional Affairs), Mr Moses Wetangula (Foreign Affairs), Mr Samuel Poghisio (Information and Communication) and Mbooni MP, Mr Mutula Kilonzo, told ODM to come clean and state whether they were interested in dialogue. Poghisio termed Raila's equating himself to God as "blasphemous".

Wetangula hit out at Raila for "personalised attacks" on Kalonzo.

Raila was quoted dismissing the team appointed by President Kibaki to spearhead talks with ODM, saying he would not meet Kalonzo.

Kalonzo heads the committee, whose members include Wetangula, Karua, Kilonzo, Finance minister, Mr Amos Kimunya, and his Local Government and Internal Security colleagues, Mr Uhuru Kenyatta and Prof George Saitoti.

Raila said Kalonzo was incompetent to negotiate with ODM. He further described Kalonzo as traitor, saying: "How can Jesus Christ and his disciples sit in a committee chaired by Judas Iscariot?"

But on Sunday, Raila was told to stop invoking the name of God "if he has run out of ideas".

Karua accused Raila of "sheer arrogance", and censured him over his remarks on BBC on the arson attack at a church in Eldoret.

"Whatever the grievances we might have over the elections, we should sort them out without extending violence to the people," she said.