President Uhuru Kenyatta, Opposition leader Raila Odinga political rivalry plays out during Ntimama's burial

Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta at a past event. Kenyatta told Opposition leader Raila Odinga to keep off the affairs of the ruling coalition and mocked him, saying he would continue to salivate over power but wouldn't taste it just yet. (PHOTO: COURTESY)

President Uhuru Kenyatta told Opposition leader Raila Odinga to keep off the affairs of the ruling coalition and mocked him, saying he would continue to salivate over power but wouldn't taste it just yet.

The two exchanged verbal brickbats during the burial of veteran politician William ole Ntimama at his Narok home yesterday.

Controversy and heated politics, which characterised Ntimama's life, followed him to the grave as Government and Opposition leaders turned his funeral service into a stage for political showdowns. 

After eulogising the former Narok North MP, the President told Raila off regarding his persistent attacks on his government and said he remained fully in charge while the Opposition salivated over the presidency that Jubilee wasn't about to surrender.

"I do not know how to talk politics at a funeral but I cannot let what my brother Raila said here go unchallenged," said Uhuru, apparently angered by Raila's remarks that the late Ntimama had called him to express his support for ODM despite leading a delegation of Maasai leaders to State House.

"Raila should desist from attacking Jubilee. Put your house in order," the President said, alluding to the tussling for the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD) presidential ticket between Raila and his CORD co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka and Moses Wetang'ula.

"Yours is to look for it (the presidency) and we are sitting on it and we are not in a hurry to leave. We are here to stay," said the President who went on: "I recall when I was in Mombasa recently, a Swahili man said: 'Kumeza mate sio kula nyama,'" which means salivating over meat doesn't translate into eating meat.

JUBILEE ISSUES

The President told Raila to concentrate on putting his coalition in order instead of wasting time on Jubilee issues as he readied himself for next year's political battle.

The Head of State, who was in the company of his political mentor - former President Daniel arap Moi, was reacting to claims by Opposition leaders that the Government was using State resources to lure Opposition politicians to the Jubilee camp.

The merger of 12 political parties to form the Jubilee Party has ignited a scramble for the Maasai vote between Uhuru and Raila.

Ntimama passed on a week after visiting the President at State House Nairobi, where he pledged to rally the Maa community to re-elect the President.

During his speech at the funeral service earlier, Raila appeared to pour cold water on Jubilee's political forays in Maasai land, saying Ntimama was only interested in ensuring that the plight of the community was addressed when he led a delegation to State House, but that his heart was still in CORD.

"The late Ntimama called me immediately after the State House meeting. He assured me that he had not decamped to Jubilee but was just there for the issues of the Maasai community to be addressed. Ntimama was and still is our man and we will bury him under ODM," said Raila.

His remarks did not go down well with the Jubilee leadership - Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaiserry, who was one of the masters of ceremony, protested bitterly.

"It is wrong for respected leaders to mislead the country. Ntimama declared his support for the Jubilee government publicly and I wonder where and at what time he made the alleged call. Ntimama was a straightforward man who believed in what he said and we should respect the dead," said the CS.

Mr Kalonzo challenged the Government to respect what Ntimama agitated for and honour him by implementing the Truth, Justice and Reconciliation Commission (TJRC) report and the restoration of the Mau Forest.

He took a swipe at National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale who hinted that Parliament had received and was set to debate the TJRC report.

"I want to tell the President and the leader of majority that they can't ignore honesty. What Duale has told Kenyans here today that the TJRC report is in Parliament and shall be debated soon may not be true.

"If indeed Jubilee respects Ntimama and his ideals, then they should table and debate the report as soon as possible or else we might be tempted to say that Duale deceived Kenyans," said the Wiper party leader.

LONG-TIME FRIEND

Moi, who sat patiently as the leaders tore into each other, eulogised Ntimama as a long-time friend who he met in 1955 when he (Ntimama) was the district officer in the former Baringo District.

Moi said he respected Ntimama as a leader who championed the rights of his people without fear and was interested in expressing what he believed in.

"He worked for the unity of his people and the whole country. He respected the rights of all people," Moi said.

The former president challenged leaders from the Maasai community to empower their people through provision of basic amenities such as education and access to safe drinking water.

Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi called on national and county governments to embrace accountability and shun corruption, saying Ntimama detested corruption.

Senator Wetang'ula raised concerns about the degradation of Mau Forest and challenged the President Kenyatta to fast-track its restoration process in Ntimama's honour.

Tanzanian opposition leader Edward Lowassa thanked the Government for according Ntimama a state burial, saying the deceased was a true statesman.