Daniel Otieno
16 August 2008
Nairobi — Prime Minister Raila Odinga has moved to quell mounting discontent in the South Rift by making a raft of promises.
On Friday evening, he met in Kericho town six MPs and civic representatives from 13 constituencies forming the Kipsigis community, during which he received a petition from them.
The Mau forest saga, the sharing of Cabinet slots and the issue of suspects of the post-election violence were among sticking points the PM promised to address.
At the the meeting, the leaders had threatened to withdraw their support for him and ODM if he did not address their concerns.
The meeting comes in the wake of discontent among the South Rift legislators, who have petitioned the Government over Cabinet posts, the Mau forest and the release of the post-poll chaos suspects.
Among the MPs at the meeting were Mr Charles Keter, Mr Franklin Bett, Mr Benjamin Langat, Mr Magerer Langat, Mr Zakayo Cheruyot and Mr Isaac Ruto. Others were Mr Paul Sang and Mr Nick Salat who are said to be President Kibaki's allies.
Mr Odinga was with Cabinet ministers Chris Obure and James Orengo.
Agriculture minister William Ruto, who seems to have replaced retired President Moi as the "king" of Rift Valley politics, was absent, although Mr Odinga said he had sent apologies.
South Rift has been one of Mr Odinga's political strongholds and, given that he is the one who called the meeting to explain the government position on a number of issues affecting the region, it was not lost on anybody that he is keen to maintain the status quo.
The PM said squatters have to be moved from the Mau complex, adding that they will be given alternative land to settle. Police would not be used to evict them, he reassured them.
"We must speak the truth, we must conserve the environment, or else we will be cursed by the next generation for handing over to them a desert land", Mr Odinga said.
Some of the leaders told the PM that he was being used to do the Government's dirty work, an accusation he rejected, saying that his resolve over the forest had been motivated by the important place it holds in the lake basin ecosystem.
"What do I benefit from removing people from the Mau forest?" he asked. "I can as well sit back and watch, but I don't want to play populist politics.
"It is the experts who have sounded the alarm over the consequences of the destruction of the forest."
He also appealed to the squatters to move out of the water catchment area, warning that failure to do so would eventually lead to acute desertification.
"The South Rift is dependent on rain-fed agriculture, but the rivers are already drying due to the destruction," he told the gathering.
Agricultural mainstay
"Lake Victoria will soon be no more and tea, which is your agricultural mainstay, will be no more."
The PM said Cabinet positions left vacant following the death of MPs Lorna Laboso and Kipkalya Kones are being reserved for the South Rift, and that they will not be filled until by-elections in the two constituencies are held.
The civic leaders had taken Mr Odinga to task over the decision to give Mr Kones' Roads docket to Mr Chris Obure who, they argued, is from Nyanza province and not from the area.
But Mr Odinga said that, given the requirement that an acting minister be someone who has another portfolio, it was impossible to give it to a South Rift legislator, as Mr Charles Keter, the only other loal top official, is only an assistant minister.
He told the leaders that ODM will not interfere with the nominations, and that the party will support whoever comes through the primaries.
At the same time, the PM said the area would benefit from major roads rehabilitation and construction projects. A tender for the reconstruction of the Mau Summit-Kisumu road will be opened next week, he added.
He said he had noted the local roads' poor state, noting that some sections had "potholes so deep that they could serve as graves".
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