The Nation (Nairobi)
Daniel Otieno And Maurice K'aluoch
4 July 2009
Nairobi — Last weekend, Agriculture minister William Ruto held a meeting with the Luo Council of Elders chairman, Ker Riaga Ogallo, before proceeding for a fundraiser for a church at the elder's backyard.
Mr Ruto then went for lunch at Ker Ogallo's home accompanied by, among others, the council's secretary-general, Mr Adera Osawa.The council of elders is the highest decision-making organ in the community on traditional matters.
The visit has sparked speculation among ODM supporters with some claiming that the Eldoret North MP could have been on a mission to seek the elders' support for his future political ambitions.
Ainamoi MP Benjamin Langat, who accompanied Mr Ruto to the meeting with the elders, said that the Kalenjin community supported Prime Minister Raila Odinga in the last General Election and, therefore, expected the community to reciprocate "when the time comes".
"If somebody helps you in time of need, you are indebted to him. So 2012 will be payback time and we are not walking away from this relationship," said Mr Langat.
Mr Ruto, speaking during the fundraiser, accused people he called "busy body propagandists" of trying to drive a wedge between him and the Prime Minister.
"There are no differences between me and the Prime Minister. Those saying that (we have differences) are propagating cheap politics," he said.
However, speaking in Rift Valley the previous week, the Agriculture minister said that his community did not seek a binding agreement with ODM before joining it and that in future they would only deal with a "serious" party.
In future, he said, Rift Valley people would only support a party after a negotiated and binding agreement. He argued that the Kalenjin community took itself to ODM without the party proving that it would give the community something back in exchange.
Whichever way you look at it, there is certainly something "cooking" between Mr Ruto and the PM.
Late last year, during a meeting at the Kericho Tea Research Foundation, leaders from the South Rift put Mr Odinga on notice -- "treat us with the respect we deserve or we push Ruto to the front line".
Indeed the ODM leadership seemed to have bowed to pressure from the Rift Valley by creating two positions of the deputy party leader to accommodate Mr Ruto.
Deputy PM Musalia Mudavadi, who was Mr Odinga's running mate in the 2007 ections, is the other deputy party leader.
When reached for comment about his meeting with Mr Ruto, Ker Ogallo referred to the minister as "a fearless leader who the community should not cut links with". He said that the meeting was a first among several others to be held "to maintain a common path for the sake of the future".
The meeting came just days after a close confidant of the Agriculture minister hinted that the Rift Valley leaders were keen on strengthening alliance with the Luo Nyanza, which tends to support Mr Odinga as a bloc.
Mr Ruto's visit to the elders came the same week nominated MP Musa Sirma accused some of his colleagues from Rift Valley of seeking alliances with the PNU. Mr Sirma spoke at a meeting in Nyando before heading to Kericho in the company of Lands minister James Orengo.
At the same meeting, political activist Onyango Oloo challenged the Luo community to start thinking of alternative leadership.
But Internal Security assistant minister Orwa Ojode said the electorate were against walking away from ODM, arguing that what leaders in the party needed to do was address thorny issues and position the party strategically before the next polls.
"It is true there have been challenges in the party after we entered into the coalition government. It is not only being felt by the Rift Valley MPs but all of us. But is walking out on the party the best alternative? All we need is to put our act together and for sure the party will form the next government," said Mr Ojode.
One of the reasons the Rift Valley MPs have been demanding a greater stake in the party was that they mobilised the core of the ODM presidential support in the last polls.
MPs from Rift Valley and Nyanza have in the past openly expressed dissatisfaction with the way some issues have been handled by the party.
For example, Rift Valley MPs have been vocal against government plans to evict people who have settled in the Mau Forest. Experts say the continued presence of settlers in the forest is a threat to the entire ecosystem of East Africa, a view the Prime Minister supports.
But the MPs say that their people having overwhelmingly voted for Mr Odinga as their presidential candidate, they expect him to be on the forefront in agitating for their "rights".
Chepalungu MP Isaac Ruto told the Sunday Nation that Rift Valley residents had not thought of leaving ODM but had "several" options if matters did not improve in the party.
He, however, ruled out joining the Party of National Unity (PNU). "We have no issue to discuss with PNU," Mr Ruto said.
Mr Ruto said the issue of which party Rift Valley residents will support in 2012 was not a priority at the moment.
He described Mr Sirma's claims that some MPs had hatched a plot to leave ODM as "wild".
Rongai MP Luka Kigen echoed Mr Ruto's statement saying that Rift Valley MPs were in ODM "as long as our people tell us to stay".
Mr Kigen said Mr Ruto's assertion that Rift Valley residents did not negotiate with the party before joining it did not necessarily mean that they will decamp ahead of the 2012 elections.
He said the residents will negotiate with the party for a deal and if they do not get any, "options are open."
Some of the MPs were also unhappy with the manner the party shared positions in the coalition government
It is further widely believed that Mr Ruto's and Mr Odinga's supporters have been fighting over the control of the party ahead of 2012 elections.
Some of Mr Odinga's close allies like Tourism minister Najib Balala were reportedly edged out as Mr Ruto's, including assistant minister Aden Duale and MP Hassan Joho took key positions in the party during its polls.
Since ODM MPs like Cherengany's Joshua Kutuny have been calling for a generational change in the party leadership and the country.
The PM's vulnerability in the province increased with the deaths of Mr Kipkalya Kones and Ms Lorna Labaso, who were perceived to be among his key allies.
Even in Nyanza, the Prime Minister has had to deal with grumblings occasioned by the distribution of Cabinet positions.
An assistant minister from the province who asked not to be named said that the Prime Minister rewarded "Johnny come latelies" with positions at the expense of those who had tolled to popularise the party from its inception.
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