COALITION GOVERNMENT IN TATTERS

THE STANDARD ON SUNDAY
NAIROBI, KENYA
By The Standard Team
April 5, 2009

The Grand Coalition Government is in tatters. Prime Minister Raila Odinga walked out on a meeting chaired by President Kibaki and refused to return when he sent for him.

The Cabinet is mired in confusion. Kilaguni ministers’ retreat turned a fiasco. The fires of bitter rivalry between Kibaki and Raila, momentarily quenched by power sharing, have burst the seams. The Cabinet – the country’s highest decision making organ — is in a shambles and the two managers have left the bench to stand by their teams.

The political antagonism and blame-game between Party of National Unity and Orange Democratic Movement is now boiling over the melting pot. And Kenya could soon be in limbo – unless decisive and resolute leadership stems the tide of rebellion in Cabinet and resolves the differences between the coalition’s two main blocs.

Cabinet held hostage

This is the situational analysis following collapse of talks between the 12-member National Management Committee – constituted by the President and the PM to smoothen the operations of a Cabinet held hostage by the undercurrents of PNU-ODM rivalry. It is a committee of Cabinet ministers, five from each side, and incorporates the President and PM as ‘team captains’. The meeting was to have been the third for the committee formed in January.

Prime Minister Raila Odinga walks out of stalled Cabinet committee talks in Kilaguni Lodge with ministers from his party. [PHOTO: omondi onyango]

The venue was Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge and the bone of contention was the agenda. The dignitaries landed at the lodge in the heart of the Tsavo National Park on Friday evening ostensibly to heal the wobbling coalition. Their arrival abode Air Force choppers was glamorously relayed by the media to an expectant nation – anxious to see an end to the wrangling in Cabinet and coalition partners working in harmony and bound by mutual respect.

Consultations to continue

"The President went into a room and called Raila but he declined," revealed Cabinet minister Mutula Kilonzo. It was Mutula who told ODM what they wanted on the agenda amounted to renegotiation of power-sharing deal, to which Raila responded he was not supposed to be in the meeting as he was not a member. He walked out thereafter. Mutula was stepping in for Justice Minister Martha Karua, who declined to take her position in the committee probably because she was not in the first list. "Mutula like Karua is lawyer and PNU wanted him in so as to help counter arguments from ODM ‘lawyer, James Orengo,’’ revealed a source.

ODM also wanted Forestry Minister Noah Wekesa thrown out alongside Mutula, as he was not a member of the committee. They finally had to leave the meeting.

On arrival in Nairobi Raila told journalists ODM was consulting and would tell the country its next course of action. Speaking at Serena Hotel, he said the meeting did not take place because ODM found a different agenda on the table other than what was agreed to by the secretariats of the two groups.

But even after the talks stalled the President, through his press service, sent a media brief that curiously started with the line: "The Grand Coalition Government has held consultations today." He went on: These consultations are important. They have helped members to see and hear different opinions. The consultations will continue in future meetings to foster understanding among members."

He said even as this is done, the country must fast-track constitutional review and development agenda.

ODM wanted the question of who comes first in the chain of command, between the PM and Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka sorted out. They also wanted the conflict between the PM and Head of Civil Service Francis Muthaura ironed out, as well as discussions on the report on police killings by UN special Rappoteur Philip Alston, government communication, membership of the committee of Cabinet, fast tracking of reform Agenda 4, Waki Report, and the opening remarks of the President and PM.

Other sources reported the situation was aggravated by PNU’s insistence that Muthaura, Director General of the National Security Intelligence Service Michael Gichangi and the Principal Administrative Secretary in the Cabinet Office Sam Mwale be allowed into the meeting. "PNU wanted discussion on a report on the status of the coalition, ODM insisted on specific reform Agenda 4 on historical injustices, land issues and internally displaced persons. The meeting aborted at that point,’’ added the source.

Coalition’s image building

PNU agenda items included minutes of the meeting of February 5, options in implementation of the Waki report, review of the implementation of the national accord, audit of the Grand Coalition Government, fast-tracking of the national accord, especially for reforms, image building for the Grand Coalition Government, way forward and any other business.

Raila refused to talk

"The talks have collapsed because the President’s agenda was Waki Tribunal and working relationships in Cabinet. ODM wanted renegotiation of power yet this was done in Serena, you cannot bring it afresh,’’ said the Government Spokesman Alfred Mutua on phone.

"The PM has refused to talk to the President until a few minutes ago. He sees it like it is a new renegotiation of power,’’ he went on his call to The Standard on Sunday.

He added: ODM also wanted the PM’s salary discussed but they were told Kenyans are starving. They also wanted discussions on Government appointments, especially the military but you see some things are constitutional. They were told there is no going to a new Serena.

His parting shot: "The President’s view is that the national accord is in the Constitution and renegotiation of power sharing cannot be done, and (Dr Kofi) Annan has said as much. Only Parliament can do that."