KIBAKI AND RAILA CLOSE RANKS AGAINST REBELS

DAILY NATION
NAIROBI
By BERNARD NAMUNANE and DAVID MUGONYI
March 19 2009

Some officials think the two leaders are setting the stage for a Cabinet reshuffle

President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga appear to be closing ranks in their determination to deal with rebels in the Cabinet who have publicly blamed them for the failures of the coalition government.

Analysts see the President’s threat to sack grumblers as part of setting the stage for imminent changes in the Cabinet, possibly in the coming weeks.

A source in the Prime Minister’s office, who cannot be named discussing confidential government affairs, claimed the Prime Minister and the President discussed the issue at a Harambee House meeting last week.

Kick out ministers

The President, who is known for giving ministers freedom to speak and run their ministries, took an uncharacteristic position and threatened to kick out ministers who were dissatisfied with the government.

Speaking in Kiswahili, he warned: “Kama hawajui njia ya kutoka tutawatoa (if they don’t know the way out, we will kick them out). What else do you want us to do? We will just sack you.”

An Office of the President official conversant with Mr Kibaki’s diary and thinking said he did not recall a meeting between the principals in the last week, but he thought they were both setting the stage for a Cabinet reshuffle.

“They are of the same mind,” said the normally cautious but knowledgeable official, who would not agree to be named discussing Cabinet secrets.

“The matter of ministers accusing the President and the Prime Minister publicly and urging them to take charge of affairs in the coalition was discussed at length and it was agreed that they be stopped,” said the official in the Prime Minister’s office.

He said the PM was “very happy” with the tough stance taken by the President. Mr Odinga returned to the country on Wednesday from London, where he was attending a pre-G20 conference.

On Thursday, party officials from both ODM and PNU took up the chorus, urging the two leaders to crack the whip.

ODM chief whip Jakoyo Midiwo and PNU vice-chair in charge of elections George Nyamweya said the minister banned from travelling to the US on allegations of corruption should be sacked.

They said such a minister is unable to serve the country effectively.

Earlier in the week, the President said ministers who were not happy with the government should raise their concerns in the Cabinet, not on the public platform.

“Everybody sits in the Cabinet yet they do not talk there. Instead, they come to grumble to the public. The public will not sympathise with you, they will see you as stupid,” he said.

Since the beginning of the year, President Kibaki and Mr Odinga have come under pressure from some ministers to take action against leaders involved in corruption, speed up the pace of reforms and unite the Cabinet, which draws its membership from PNU, ODM and ODM Kenya.

The failure by Parliament to pass a Bill to establish the Special Tribunal for Kenya; disagreements on the composition of the Parliamentary Select Committee on the review process; and the rising cases of official corruption such as the maize and oil scandals have all been placed at their feet.

The revelation that 10 million Kenyans facing starvation at a time when maize stocks were reported to have been mismanaged by the National Cereals and Produce Board (NCPB) has reflected poorly on the two principals.
The tension and diversity of opinion in the coalition was starkly demonstrated when a report by the UN special rapporteur accused the police of executing suspects and urged the President and the PM to show leadership.

Mr Odinga supported the report’s implementation, met rights activists and cleared student protests.

Grand coalition

But Mr Kibaki’s kitchen Cabinet was furious and at a Monday afternoon meeting pressed for the postponing of the meeting of the high powered Permanent Committee on the Management of the Affairs of the Grand Coalition.

A week before Prof Philip Alston’s report, findings of a firm hired to assess the progress in the coalition questioned the leadership of the two principals.

ODM has been unhappy with the sharing of power and has called for the renegotiation of the National Accord, which has prompted PNU hawks to invite it to leave government if it is dissatisfied.

Cabinet ministers from both ODM and PNU have been critical of the President and the PM.

Among those who have called on the two principals to take decisive action on corruption and expedite reforms are Cabinet ministers Mutula Kilonzo, Martha Karua, James Orengo and William Ruto.

The same calls were made by religious leaders and the civil society.

Immediately after Parliament voted to reject the entrenchment of the Special Tribunal for Kenya in the Constitution and thereby blocking debate on the statute to establish it, Mr Kilonzo urged President Kibaki and Mr Odinga to resign.

Even though he welcomed the President’s decision to come down hard on dissatisfied members if the Cabinet, the Nairobi Metropolitan Development minister said those who criticise their colleagues on allegations of corruption should not be punished.

“I welcome it (President’s warning) because it shows total firmness that has been lacking. This firmness should be extended to Parliament where you normally find ministers lobbying MPs to vote against a Government Bill,” he said.

He added: “However, in cases where infighting is as a result of corruption, we should not be punished. There is no collective responsibility in crime.”

Ms Karua, the Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister who spoke before the Bill was defeated, urged President Kibaki and Mr Odinga to rally their MPs behind it. She has also been involved in exchanges with Mr Ruto over the maize scandals.

The Justice minister and Mr Ruto exchanged angry words in the presence of Mr Kibaki and Mr Odinga in Cabinet.

Ms Karua is also a target of the infighting among PNU affiliate parties causing antagonism between her and deputy PM Uhuru Kenyatta, Cabinet ministers Kiraitu Murungi and George Saitoti on the other hand.

On Thursday, Mr Midiwo said the two leaders should have sacked corrupt ministers before other countries took action against them.

“If a minister has been banned from leaving the country then he or she will be unable to discharge his duties,” Mr Midiwo said.
Mr Nyamweya said other countries could as well follow suit and bar the minister from travelling to their countries.

Former Kabete MP Paul Muite said it would be difficult to see how a minister who is unable to travel to Europe and US transacts Government business.