President Kibaki made a hotline
phone call to Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka and Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta to ask them not to attend a funds drive in aid of Mau Forest evictees.

But Uhuru defied the President’s request and went on to attend the controversial fund raising, at KICC, Nairobi on Wednesday.

The President intervened following Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s request during their meeting at Harambee House on Tuesday. The meeting came as the Head of State was preparing to fly out to Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago to attend the Commonwealth Heads of State and Government meeting.

Raila is said to have urged Kibaki to call the two, arguing their participation in the fundraising would portray the Government in a bad light. Sources privy to the Harambee House meeting, said the President picked up his hotline and reached his principal assistant, and communicated the message to him.

The President could not reach Uhuru for some time, but when he did, the message was equally clear: "As senior Cabinet ministers it would not look good if they participated in the harambee and yet the Government had its own programme of dealing with the humanitarian crisis."

"The President was very clear that the two leaders should not go for the event… I cannot tell you how Kalonzo and Uhuru reacted to the President’s call," the source close to those who attended the meeting confided.

However, last night, Uhuru defied the President and attended the fundraiser. He was received with a great applause as he walked into the Panafric Hotel where the fund raising was being held.

The fundraising, which was aired live by vernacular radio station Kass FM, started with a word of prayer.

The vocal Cherangany MP Joshua Kuttuny was the Master of Ceremonies in the event that was attended by more than 30 MPs including Cabinet Ministers and Assistant ministers by the time we went to press.

Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka

Cabinet ministers who were in attendance were Najib Balala, Mohammed Elmi, Mohammed Kuti, Franklin Bett, William Ruto and Dr Naomi Shaban.

Assistant Ministers were Charles Keter, Aden Dualle, Beatrice Kones, Kareke Mbiuki and Wakoli Bifwoli.

MPs were Kiema Kilonzo, Prof Kaloki, a close ally of Kalonzo, Silas Ruteere, Cyrus Jirongo and Mithika Linturi.

In his speech, Mbiuki, who is Ruto’s Assistant Minister said the team assembled at the Panafric Hotel was destined for big things and they will be in government come 2013.

Statements were made against the Prime Minister with some leaders talking of a dictator in Government who must be tamed.

Jirongo and Wakoli said the MPs have themselves to blame since they put the wrong people in power.

The MPs said it’s the right to be at the harambee and nobody should dictate to them how to conduct their affairs.

The Harambee House meeting was attended by Head of Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet Francis Muthaura, President’s advisor Nick Wanjohi, Permanent Secretary in the Office of the PM Mohammed Isahakia and Secretary of Administration in the same office Caroli Omondi.

The relationship between Kalonzo and the Prime Minister has been frosty and his earlier intention to attend the fundraising was being seen as meant to spite Raila.

Their cold war started in 2002 after Raila declared "Kibaki Tosha" at the time when Kalonzo thought he would be the Narc presidential candidate.

breach of protocol

The VP has stepped up efforts to shore up his political standing in Rift Valley, against the backdrop of a falling out in ODM over the Mau saga.

A fortnight after the unveiling of the Grand Coalition Cabinet Kibaki, Raila and Kalonzo toured the Rift Valley, their first visit to the region since ceasation of violence following the bungled 2007 presidential election.

That afternoon on April 25, last year, the VP received a hostile reception at the Kipchoge Keino Stadium in Eldoret.

A section of the crowd heckled and booed when the VP took the microphone, but Kalonzo braved the hostility pleading: "Let those who think that I’m hurting them when I speak forgive me."

Earlier the PM had spoken, ignored the VP, and invited the President to address the meeting.

But before the President spoke he allowed the VP to speak first, prompting Raila to protest, citing breach of protocol.

One-and-a-half years later, the political wheel has gone full circle and Kalonzo is angling to make inroads into the region believed to be slipping away from Raila’s political grip.

Last weekend the VP held meetings in Eldoret North constituency, represented by Agriculture Minister William Ruto.

Ironically, Raila is now being painted the villain for his stand on the conservation of Mau Forest Complex. The issue, though agreed by the Cabinet and Parliament, has generated heat, as competing political interests play out.

The Mau saga has worsened the frosty relationship between Raila, the ODM leader, and Ruto, one of two deputy party leaders

Factional feuds have raged in the Orange party initially over the dissatisfaction with Cabinet appointments, which has since been shelved.

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