Nairobi Star (Nairobi)
13 November 2008
Nairobi — Prime Minister Raila Odinga will lead an ODM walk-out from the coalition government if the Waki report is used to settle political scores.
"I will defend my party and all its members at all costs and I will not accept the Waki report to be used against people who may be innocent and are only victims of rumours and propaganda", said Raila during the two-hour evening talk show on Kass FM on Tuesday night.
"If I realise that the Waki report is being used to undermine my party or my supporters, then I will have no option but to walk out of the coalition", Raila told listeners.
Speaking on the Kalenjin radio station, Raila was openly supportive of Agriculture minister Ruto.
Said Raila: "Ruto is a close personal friend and a leader for whom I have a lot of respect. When he speaks his personal views even if they are different from mine, that does not mean we are enemies".
Raila denied suggestions by callers that he was part of a plot to sacrifice Ruto using the Waki report.
Significantly Raila spoke to Kass FM callers for more than two hours on a variety of issues, an indication that he is determined to keep the Rift Valley vote.
Rift MPs have been threatening to break away from ODM which would imperil Raila's presidential bid in 2012.
Rift Valley MPs were angered by his consistent support for the Waki report which was vigorously opposed by Eldoret North MP William Ruto.
This week, at the instigation of Raila, the ODM National Executive Committee decided to set up a ten-man committee to review the Waki report before advising the party on what its final position should be.
This went against an ODM Parliamnetary Group meeting the week before that resolved to reject the Waki Report in its entirety.
In a further sign of dissent, nearly 40 Rift Valley MPs were scheduled to meet last night at Palacina Hotel in Nairobi to finalise plans for a homecoming party of Kuresoi MP Zakayo Cheruiyot on Saturday.
They are planning to issue a "Kuresoi Declaration" at the function, informed sources told the Nairobi Star. The declaration is expected to have far reaching implications on their support for ODM and its party leader.
Multiple sources confirmed that some of the issues the MPs wanted to include in their declaration was the possibility of supporting the vote of no confidence in Raila which has been suggested by some MPs.
"They will declare their stand on Raila, the Waki Report and state their way forward," according to an MP organising the meeting.
Cheruiyot said yesterday that he had invited all the 210 MPs including Raila to the homecoming but did not confirm or deny that the region's leaders will issue a Kuresoi Declaration while there.
"I have invited many people and the leaders present will be free to say what they want," was all that Cheruiyot would say.
Rify Valley MPs have been unhappy with the PM over Cabinet appointments, Raila's stand on the Mau forest issue and lately the decision by the ODM leader to back the implementation of the Waki report. Raila has insisted that the eviction of people from the forest will continue ignoring objections from the MPs.
Most Rift MPs are opposed to the Waki recommendations. Ruto has dismissed them as being based on "rumours and innuendo."
On Kass FM on Tuesday night, Raila insisted that his relationship with the Kalenjin community was still intact and said he would continue to consult with the region's leaders before making any decision. He said the NEC had consulted widely before taking a different line to the ODM parliamentary group over the Waki report.
The ODM's final position on the Waki Report will be made next Thursday at a combined meeting of the NEC and Parliamentary Group.
Kass FM callers from the Rift Valley cautioned Raila to tread carefully while making crucial decisions and avoid taking stands which earned him more enemies than friends. Some of them warned that if Raila accepts to have his friends sacrificed that would be the end of his political career.
Raila spoke of his ambition to unite Kenya saying he had strong friends and supporters in areas like Central Province which did not vote for him in the December elections.
"As the PM I am focusing on uniting this country and this is also the time to ensure that the coalition government delivers development to the people of Kenya", said Raila, adding that he was focused on ensuring that Kenya gets a new constitution as soon as possible.
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