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Kenya: Kibaki-Raila Coalition in Focus At Peace Rallies
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The Nation (Nairobi)
26 April 2008
Posted to the web 25 April 2008
Emeka-Mayaka Gekara And Fred Oluoch
Nairobi
The Grand Coalition Government's peace mission in the Rift Valley entered the second day on Friday as the position of Prime Minister Raila Odinga in the pecking order continued to excite debate among Kenyans.
The Prime Minister continued to assert his authority in the coalition by inviting Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka to address the crowd ahead of him, and ensuring that he spoke last before inviting the President - a sign that he should be ranked higher than the VP in terms of seniority.
The uneasy alliance between the two main partners in the coalition - PNU and ODM - was also highlighted as some of the politicians including a Cabinet minister declared that Rift Valley was an "ODM zone".
The issue of seniority and perceived bad blood between Mr Musyoka and Mr Odinga first came to the open on Thursday during a reconciliation rally in Eldoret, in which the VP was heckled.
Internal Security minister George Saitoti had invited Mr Odinga to address the gathering but the Premier resisted, pointing to the Vice-President who he wanted to speak first.
However, Mr Odinga reluctantly took to the podium but after his speech, he invited the President to speak, overlooking the Vice-President.
But the President signalled the VP to address the gathering.
In a rather embarrassing scenario, Mr Musyoka's speech was drowned in jeering and booing from the crowd.
Mr Odinga explained that the coalition government was made up of the himself as the Prime Minister on one side and the President on the other, with the VP on the side of the latter and therefore a rung below on the pecking order.
Mr Odinga blamed protocol officials for the confusion.
"We changed the Constitution, but the protocol people have not changed the order of events. The truth must be told. What we know is that in the coalition government, it is the Prime Minister on one side and the President on the other side. There is no one else between us."
However, in their second rally in Cherangany, the Premier tactically invited Mr Musyoka to "say a few words" before again taking over and then eventually inviting the President. The same was replicated in Friday's rallies.
Nominated MP George Nyamweya described the confusion as "political and constitutional protocol".
"In the constitutional protocol, the VP comes before the PM as the government is said to be constituted of the President, the Vice-President and the Prime Minister, with the two deputies and ministers. "However, in the political protocol, Mr Odinga is superior to Mr Musyoka who was a distant third in the race to State House," he said.
He noted that the constitutional protocol has largely been applied in the Rift Valley peace rallies.
"To satisfy those unaware of the constitutional protocol, the political protocol could be used," he said. "Perhaps this should apply more in political rallies".
Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara said the VP is an appointee of the President and, therefore, his principal assistant while the Premier is in the position by virtue of leading the party with the majority in Parliament.
"Mr Musyoka should accept the fact that in the pecking order, he is junior to Mr Odinga. He should accept that the PM's authority is clearly defined in the Constitution. He should also accept the fact that, according to the Constitution, the Prime Minister's appointment is not subject to the President other than for mere formality," said Mr Imanyara.
Besides, in the current coalition government, Mr Imanyara noted that PM is legally mandated to sit with the President and appoint Cabinet in which the Vice-President serves as minister.
The VP serves at the pleasure of President Kibaki who is Mr Odinga's coalition partner.
According to the law, the premier is supposed coordinate and supervise ministers. This means that at ministerial level, Mr Musyoka is accountable to Mr Odinga.
But Water and Irrigation minister Charity Ngilu, is convinced that there is no Number One or two in the grand coalition government.
Equal partners
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"The Accord we passed recognises the Prime Minister and the President as two equal partners in the coalition government. Mr Musyoka, who is the VP, is nowhere in this equation," said Ms Ngilu. She said somebody "commanding less than 20 MPs in the House cannot expect the one leading more than 100 MPs to be junior to him."
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