PNU PARTIES FIGHT OVER KARUA'S VACANT POST

THE STANDARD
NAIROBI, KENYA
By Beauttah Omanga

President Kibaki’s PNU is facing a dilemma as its affiliates parties battle it out over who will take over the powerful Justice, National Cohesion and Constitutional Affairs ministry following the resignation of Ms Martha Karua.

Two powerful groups have emerged throwing spanners into plans by Kibaki to replace the Gichugu MP. The bare-knuckled rivalry is alleged to have scuttled a planned mini-Cabinet reshuffle said to have been scheduled for today (Monday).

One clique, composed mainly of leaders from Kibaki’s central Kenya backyard, is allied to Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Uhuru Kenya and Internal Security Minister George Saitoti, while the other is allied to Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka.

A Cabinet minister who did not want to be named for fear of jeopardising his political position said: "The three hope to succeed Kibaki in 2012. Kalonzo and Uhuru are frontrunners and each wants their person to hold the powerful Justice ministry. The goings on are murkier than Kenyans think."

Whereas Uhuru wants the position retained by a person from Central Province, probably Assistant Minister Njeru Githae or Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi, Kalonzo’s ODM-Kenya party has been lobbying for Nairobi Metropolitan Development Minister Mutula Kilonzo.

Kiraitu, who held the docket before his resignation in 2006, is understood to be staking claim to his old ministry, although no group has coalesced to offer substantive support.

PNU affiliates — ODM-Kenya, Narc-Kenya, Kanu and other parties — at the Easter weekend upped lobbying for the seat, as the raging battle threatened to rip apart the loosely knit unity of Kibaki’s close allies.

A group of MPs from the Mt Kenya region is reported to have met on Saturday and resolved to insist on retaining the powerful portfolio. "People of central Kenya voted for Kibaki to a man, while Mutula was busy campaigning for another candidate. We should, therefore, not be given a ministry of little value while he (Mutula) gets the powerful position," said an MP who attended the meeting.

Kabete MP Lewis Nguyai said Kiambu District gave Kibaki nearly 400,000 votes, but to date remains the only area without a minister. "We now hope the President will consider Kiambu. He should not take us for granted," Mr Nguyai said without specifying whom he supports for the position. According to Nguyai, leaders from Mt Kenya want Local Government assistant minister Njeru Githae, elevated to the Justice docket.

Killing two birds

"This will kill two birds with one stone. We retain the powerful position and also ameliorate the Kirinyaga people and cut Karua down to size before she takes the vote-rich Kirinyaga District by storm," said Nguyai who is thought to be allied to Uhuru.
Uhuru is said to be fronting this to cut Kalonzo’s emerging influence in the PNU coalition.

Contacted, Githae spoke briefly: "That is mere speculation. Let’s leave it to the President. He is the only person mandated by the Constitution to appoint a minister."

Tellingly, Githae, who is in Karua’s Narc-Kenya, declined to follow his chairperson and Secretary-General Danson Mungatana into resigning. He said he would remain in Government and push for reforms from within.

Mutula declined to comment, saying he did not wish to be drawn into the issue, and likewise the VP refused to be drawn into the matter.

But Agriculture Assistant Minister Kareke Mbiuki seemed to read from a script different from his colleagues in the Mt Kenya region and backed Mutula, whom he said was the most suitable minister to replace Karua.

"Mutula is a member of the National Dialogue committee which negotiated the National Accord and understands the reforms Kenyans and Chief Mediator Kofi Annan want," said Mr Mbiuki.

VP’s machinations

Mutula’s chances are boosted by the fact that constant bickering over the Accord necessitates a steady voice to defend PNU, a role that Karua undertook astutely for long.

Mbiuki, however, said Githae, who is from Kirinyaga, should be elevated to a full minister in charge of Nairobi Metropolitan.

"Having served as Assistant Minister for Local Government, Githae’s job is well cut out if he replaced Mutula at the Nairobi Metropolitan ministry," he said. But an MP from Central who spoke on condition of anonymity after The Standard persistently called him to find out the goings on in PNU said: "The truth is that many leaders from this region (Central) are not very comfortable with the VP’s machinations and giving his party this powerful ministry would be suicidal for our plans for the Kibaki succession."

He said Githae — a two-term legislator and a lawyer by training and who once held the position of Assistant Minister for Justice —was fit for the job.

"Githae will manage the Justice ministry contrary to claims that he is an amateur," said the MP.