By Peter Atsiaya

ODM MPs have scoffed at Agriculture Minister William Ruto’s threat to break ranks with Prime Minister Raila

Odinga over the Mau forest issue.

Speaking separately, the MPs told Ruto not to drag ODM into Government plans to evict settlers.

Kisumu Town West MP Olago Aluoch dared Ruto to make good his threat.

"We have pampered Ruto for too long," he said.

"It is high time he made up his mind instead of rocking the party. He is playing cheap populist politics on matters of national and environmental concern."

He told the Eldoret North MP to stop reducing the Mau forest saga, an international crisis, to an ODM issue.

Medical Services Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o told Ruto to stop misleading Kenyans on the Government’s stand on getting settlers out of the water tower.

"The Government stand is clear: Only genuine holders of title deeds will be compensated," said Prof Nyong’o.

"There must be order in the Government," he said, urging Rift Valley Province leaders to go slow over the matter. He told Ruto to stop defending opportunists who have illegally encroached on key water catchments and were eyeing compensation.

"Some leaders are setting a bad precedent

by rallying behind such opportunists," he said.

Nyando MP Fred Outa told Ruto and his colleagues to stop issuing threats.

"The Mau issue will be solved amicably and there is no need to issue threats," he said.

Education Assistant Minister Ayiecho Olweny accused Ruto of being stubborn.

"It is becoming difficult to work with Ruto in ODM. He and his rude supporters are disturbing the party," said Prof Olweny.

"What is his agenda with the continued attack on the PM? Every weekend his team takes on Raila. He started with discontent over nomination of councillors, then Cabinet and ODM national positions.

What is Ruto up to?"

MPs Oyugi Magwanga, Shakeel Shabbir, Nicholas Gumbo and Pollyns Ochieng’ called for patience among the MPs opposing Mau evictions.

However, backing Agriculuture ministers sentiments Chepalungu MP Isaac Ruto insisted that Raila had reneged on their earlier agreement on how the Goverment would handle the evictions.

He said during their meeting with the PM, it was agreed that elders be used to help demarcate the forestland.

They also agreed there would be no use of force in the evictions. The MPs were also to participate in convincing those found to have encroached into the forest, to move out.

"We agreed the Government through the PM’s influence, would look for money to compensate all

those to be affected, but when he turns round and says the Sh38 billion will be for conserving the forest, that means all we discussed was merely a

public relations exercise. We will not continue working with dishonest leaders," said Ruto.

He said they were opposed to any forced and unstructured evictions.

Agriculture Minister William Ruto was on Monday quoted as saying he was ready to sever links with Raila if Mau Forest settlers were evicted without

compensation.

Mr Ruto was accompanied with five Rift Valley MPs said he parted ways with President Kibaki in 2005

following the eviction of settlers from the forest.

"I am ready to cut links with Raila if the Government repeats what it did to settlers in 2005," he said.

In 2005, police forcefully evicted some settlers in the forest, torching down houses. The PM and Michuki

(Environment Minister) should be careful in the way they handle this issue. We are still healing from wounds of 2005 incident," he said.