MASS ACTION THREATS ..COMING TO KENYA SOON

THE STANDARD
NAIROBI, KENYA
April 8, 2009

By The Standard Team

Threats of mass action, vote of no confidence, resignations, insults, accusations and counter-accusations by former allies marked the rock-bottom of relations in the squabbling ruling coalition.

With fears of a break-up of the feeble union and the spectre of mass action looming following

threats by Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s ODM wing, matters seemed to degenerate rather quickly just a day after Gichugu MP Martha Karua’s dramatically quit Government. The former Justice minister — an able and stalwart defender of President Kibaki and the Constitution during the disputed 2007 elections — attributed her bold move to a "recall of her mandate" by the Office of the President.

President Kibaki: “Watu wakae kwa amani waache kutusiana (Let everyone live in peace and stop insulting one other).

PM Raila: “I accepted to work with Kibaki and respect him as Head of State and President but he turned against me… We’ve no option but to tell him the truth”.
MP Karua: “Some people want me to remain a slave, always working for them… Now, I say enough is enough. I’ve put my load down”.
MP Mungatana: “How do you make appointments without consulting us? How do you raise retirement age without consulting us?”
President Kibaki Tuesday flew back directly into the eye of the storm when he landed after two days away in Zambia to find that no ODM minister was present to receive him at the airport.

No confidence

And the President’s PNU party came out guns blazing, hurling insults and promising a vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister when Parliament resumes.

"Kama Waziri Mkuu anataka choo, tutamtengenezea katika kila constituency ili astarehe... Akitaka hata kwa gari lake, tutamtengenezea choo (If it’s toilets he wants, we can build for him in all constituencies, including in his car so he can enjoy," said an ascerbic Transport Minister Chirau Ali Mwakwere, a staunch supporter of President Kibaki, in reference to the PM’s frustrations at how he was being treated by civil servants.

Yesterday, the President returned and, in his characteristic style, did not address the media. His only message from the 20-minute closed-door meeting with MPs at the airport was: "Watu wakae kwa amani na waache kutusiana (Let everyone live in peace and stop insulting one other).

In a day of unlimited drama, PNU was dealt a further body blow when Medical Services Assistant minister Danson Mungatana, another ardent Kibaki defender and Narc-Kenya Secretary-General, resigned in solidarity with Martha Karua.

On Monday, Raila said Kibaki has been inciting civil servants to be disrespectful to him and that his leadership style was "primitive."

Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka lead 57 MPs from PNU and its affiliates, which are smarting with Karua’s resignation, in firing a warning shot at the PM: "The PM must mind his language. He must give recognition and respect to the institution of the Presidency".

Sources inside the meeting told The Standard the meeting was in agreement that Karua’s departure had dented their image.

Limuru MP Peter Mwathi said PNU would match the PM’s "outbursts but would not peddle lies and abuses".

ODM, on its part, threatened to call mass action at the weekend to push the reform agenda that Kibaki is alleged to have reneged on.

But a defensive PNU sought to go one up on its partner-critic by resolving to call copycat rallies to "popularise their side of the coalition’s agenda" to counter ODM’s arguments.

Mass action

Yesterday, about 40 PNU MPs were at the airport to meet Kibaki. MPs Joshua Kuttuny (Cherang’any) and Hussein Gabow (Wajir North) were the only ones present from ODM.

At its Parliamentary Group meeting, ODM recounted how the Prime Minister was being frustrated in the discharge of his duties, a song that was popularised by Karua at the weekend culminating in her resignation on Monday.

The party — which has more than 100 MPs in the House — resolved to resort to House action to press for reforms agreed on in the National Accord, aside from mass action rallies slated for next week.

Sources told of how an angry Raila spilled the secrets of the goings-on between him and the President, and how he had been patient and diplomatic in handling him.

Present at the meeting — chaired by Mr Henry Kosgey — were ODM heavyweights William Ruto, Najib Balala, Joseph Nyagah, Charity Ngilu, James Orengo, Prof Anyang’ Nyong’o, among others.

At the Narc-Kenya PG, Assistant ministers Asman Abongotum Kamama and Robinson Njeru Githae resolved not resign just yet.

But the party’s National Executive Council endorsed the decision by Karua and Mungatana to quit, terming them "personal." (See story page 8)

Kamama, the party’s vice-chairperson, said: "I am not leaving the Government for the time being...there are many ministers who are more frustrated than Karua".

Githae, the Local Government Assistant minister, said he would not resign but would "continue fighting for reforms from within."