Nairobi — PRIME Minister Raila Odinga yesterday told Parliament that Agriculture minister William Ruto, whom he referred to as "that minister", was free to resign but that he did not intend to sack him.

However at the same time Ruto allies in the North Rift were pushing forward a master plan to get rid of 10 pro-Raila MPs in the Rift Valley.

Raila said he was not shaken by threats of a vote of no confidence against him.

"Raila is unbwogable. I am ready to go back to Kibera to bake Mandazi with my constituents," he said. "I am not going to take action against that minister because he has disagreed with me. We do not want to personalise this matter," the PM said.

"No one is indispensable, if you think you cannot work with us, go home," Raila told MPs.

He said the government operations would not stall just because a few ministers resign or were dropped.

Yesterday former President Moi also dashed speculation that he might back a Kikuyu-Kalenjin alliance led by William Ruto and Uhuru Kenyatta.

"No, no," was Moi's comment. Pressed to explain, the retired President said that Kenya remained divided so leaders should help in uniting communities.

The Prime Minister said in Question Time yesterday that ODM was willing to reduce the size of the Cabinet to 20 in response to a question from Alego Usongo MP Edwin Yinda.

"We ended up here because PNU wanted 20 ministers, so we also had to take 20 because this was a shared government. If PNU is ready to reduce their number to 10 we in ODM will be very much willing to do the same, " Raila said.

Meanwhile allies of Agriculture minister William Ruto have targeted 10 Rift Valley MPs to be replaced in 2012.

A confidential memo obtained by the Star reveals that the United Democratic Movement is being prepared as an apparent exit strategy in case Ruto has to leave ODM.

The confidential memo in the Star's possession is entitled 'Friends of Hon. Ruto, Minister for Agriculture and 2012 secretariat, North Rift Chapter'.

The meeting held at Sirikwa Hotel on November 11, targets for replacement Industrialization minister and ODM chairman Henry Kosgey (Tinderet); Higher Education minister Sally Kosgey (Aldai); Moses Lessonet(Eldama Ravine); Magerer Langat (Kipkelion); Luka Kigen(Rongai); Margaret Kamar( Eldoret East); Franklin Bett(Bureti); Peris Chepchumba( Eldoret South) and Joseph Kiuna( Molo) who curiously belong to the PNU and not ODM.

The ten MPs were singled out for failing to accord Ruto "the necessary political support in Rift Valley".

The minutes states that "it is only those MPs that toe the line who will be spared and supported in 2012" "Considering the on-goings in the ODM of which it has betrayed the Kalenjin community after receiving overwhelming support in 2007, there is need to market UDM as an alternative party for 2012 and Hon Ruto's vehicle for presidency," read the minutes.

The meeting, according to the minutes, was attended by 21 leaders including Eldoret mayor William Rono, Wareng County Council Chairman Paul Kiprop, The National Cereals and Produce Board board member Timothy Busienei and David Kirwa of Bindura Children's Home.

Apart from being UDM grassroots leaders, the group has formed a caucus calling itself "Friends of Hon Ruto" whose mission is "tackling Mheshimiwa's enemies and detractors." The group particularly targeted Kosgey and Magerer who have openly accused Ruto of trying to break ODM.

"There is need to identify a good person to fight Hon. Kosgey head-on in Tinderet constituency and be supported financially," the meeting resolved.

It's not known why they have targeted Bett who is considered a close ally of Ruto.

The Sirikwa meeting was held 10 days after Ruto met 11 MPs and 12 county council chairmen at his Sugoi home where they proposed to package UDM to support his 2012 presidential campaign.

The meeting at Ruto's house agreed to organize grassroots rallies in the run-up to 2012, initially in the Rift Valley but then in other regions.

The UDM has remained a fringe party since being formed in 1999 by Cyrus Jirongo, Kipruto Kirwa, and William Ruto.

It only has one MP, Prof Helen Sambili, but earlier this year dissatisfied Rift politicians started marketing it as an alternative to the ODM.

The minutes identified a former aide to President Moi was one of the funders of UDM.

The meeting also resolved that it was "non-negotiable... as we had agreed earlier in his Eldoret house," that Ruto should name Willy Bett as Managing Director of Kenya Seed since he had been a staunch supporter of the minister.

On November 27, Ruto appointed Willie Kipkorir Bett as MD of the Kenya Seed Company for three years.

The meeting further resolved that "all those people who have been given opportunity to serve by Waziri to extend their available opportunity for his followers to make money in order to make work easier in 2012 (sic)."