Steve Mkawale
27 April 2008
Nairobi — President Mwai Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga completed their tour of the Rift Valley, vowing to find a lasting solution to recurrent ethnic clashes.
The leaders said there was a need for comprehensive reforms to address the emotive land issue.
Speaking in Molo town on the third day of their peace and reconciliation mission yesterday, the two leaders urged local communities to rise above their tribal differences.
"Raila and I decided to work together for the sake of peace and Kenyans must emulate us," the President told the crowd at Molo Stadium.
He asked Kenyans to forget what happened in the last election and concentrate on building the nation.
Raila said tribalism had destroyed the country.
"Tribalism leads to segregation of some communities, but it is time we buried our differences and built this country," the Prime Minister said.
The Lang'ata MP said, "Kibaki and I battled it out in the election but now we are together in Government. We want to assure you that we will find a lasting solution to this problem."
Raila said comprehensive land reforms were a must and was one way of easing ethnic animosity.
Earlier, there was an anxious moment at the Molo Stadium when the Head of State arrived without the Prime Minister.
The President was in the company of Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka, Internal Security Minister George Saitoti, Roads Minister Kipkalya Kones and Assistant Minister Asman Kamama.
The huge crowd that had turned up at the stadium quickly noticed Raila's absence.
As the President took his seat at the dais there were whispers in the crowd about the whereabouts of the premier.
"Where is the Prime Minister?" people were heard asking.
None of the speakers bothered to explain Raila's absence but as Saitoti was addressing the crowd the PM accompanied by Ministers William Ruto, Dalmas Otieno and Naomi Shaban arrived amid thunderous applause.
Their arrival temporarily disrupted proceedings at the meeting attended by thousands of refugees.
Ruto said the cause of skirmishes that rocked the country after elections must be addressed.
"We need to address issues that caused ethnic tension across the province," the Eldoret North MP said.
Molo bore the brunt of post-election violence that uprooted more than 56,000 people from their farms in Kuresoi, Kamwaura, Keringet, Sachangwany and Nyakinyua villages.
About 70 per cent of the displaced return to their farms during the day.
Saitoti assured the displaced persons that security had been beefed up in most areas affected by the clashes.
Differences in seniority between the Prime Minister and the Vice- President played out again at the meeting.
Raila who was invited to address the crowd left the podium without introducing the Vice-President.
Kalonzo took the microphone and steered away from the issue and instead concentrated on reconciliation.
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