Politicians in collusion to trash Waki proposals

By Isaac Ongiri

Nyanza MPs have asked Prime Minister Raila Odinga to consult his ODM colleagues before commenting on sensitive national issues.

The MPs also told Cabinet ministers Anyang’ Nyong’o and James Orengo to be careful while contributing to political issues.

Sources at a meeting held at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Centre said the 14 MPs also cautioned the PM over his position on the Mau Forest.

"We asked him to be careful with political issues, which we felt may not augur well for his political future," said an MP, who attended the meeting.

The MPs told the PM to his face they would not tolerate any more outbursts from him.

"We sought to know from him, what interest he had on the Waki Report or Mau Forest to go the extent of committing political suicide while there are ministers supposed to handle the issues," the source said.

Cabinet ministers Orengo, Dalmas Otieno, Assistant Minister Oburu Odinga and MPs Edwin Yinda (Alego-Usonga), John Mbadi (Gwasi), Oyugi Magwanga (Kasipul- Kabondo), John Pesa (Migori), Otieno Ogindo (Rangwe) were at the meeting.

"It was an in-house issue, we decided to retreat to clean our house, we have been discussing how to make sure our party remains united despite emerging issues, that is all," said Magwanga, who declined to comment further.

Raila is said to have assured the MPs the European Union and other international donors have lined up funds to settle those to be evicted from Mau Forest.

The PM was also put to task for stooping too low to be dragged into dirty political battles with councillors.

"We told him his recent battles with councillors was embarrassing and unnecessary," the source added.

They also warned Raila against escalating friction between him and Agriculture Minister William Ruto.

But the PM told the MPs there was no friction between him and Ruto, saying they had met twice before the meeting.

There has been tension in ODM over a number of issues key among them being the implementation of the recommendations of the Waki Report.

Raila has supported implementation of the report and said those implicated in fuelling post-election violence must be punished.

Ruto on the other hand, has dismissed the report as being too shallow and with no evidence that can sustain prosecution.

ODM leaders have since rejected the Waki Report and its recommendations, saying they will protect those unfairly implicated.

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