Why Rift Valley MPs fight Raila

By Kipchumba Some and Oscar Obonyo

The cat is finally out of the bag. The reason for the bitter opposition Prime Minister Raila Odinga has faced from Rift Valley MPs can now be revealed.

The MPs say though the differences between them and the PM on the Mau, local tribunal and Cabinet appointments are fundamental, the main cause of friction has everything to do with Raila’s political dominance in the region, which they want to tame.

And Raila’s associates concur that they have always known that this was the case. But they did not want to be identified, saying with the revelations coming days after an ODM reconciliation meeting, they would not want to be seen to be fuelling the rift.

In candid revelations to The Standard on Sunday, ODM MPs Joshua Kutuny (Cherang’any), Luka Kigen (Rongai), Benjamin Lang’at (Ainamoi), Lucas Chepkitony (Keiyo North) and William Cheptumo (Baringo North) said the fear of the province, and in particular the Kalenjin, falling into the tight grip of the PM, terrified local leaders.

And they believe they succeeded in the Tuesday meeting, when the PM reportedly apologised to those MPs who felt he had offended them.

Retinue of guards

Mr Kutuny said: "We shall go down in history as the only group to have stared down Raila into admitting for once that he was wrong on anything."

He went on: "You get scared over the overwhelming influence that Raila exerts in Luo-Nyanza, where his word is law. If anyone has to have such dominance in our community, it should be our own rather than an outsider."

Conceding they are beneficiaries of the ODM wave triggered by Raila in 2007, the MPs nonetheless say they had to stop the PM.

They, accordingly, embarked on a mission to loosen Raila’s firm grip. In what seemed like a choreographed strategy, the PM became a regular target of attacks in a move to deflate his popularity.

It all started with claims the region had been shortchanged in Cabinet appointments, followed by the call for the release of youth in custody over post-election violence.

Meanwhile, accusations over evictions from the Mau complex and differences over a local tribunal have been interchangeably waved in Raila’s face.

In a recent interview with The Standard on Sunday, the PM, too, seemed to understand what was at play: "I do not think they are genuine. This is all politics and I am now getting used to their games."

Cosy with opponents

The MPs have genuine personal fears. According to a councillor, who did not wish to be named, the PM has maintained close contact with local people and leaders at the grassroots — a fact that makes MPs uneasy.

"Even before he went public that he would go directly to the people, he had been dealing directly with some of us. There are funerals and fundraisers where the PM has requested councillors, or even ordinary villagers to present his donation," says the civic leader.

The politician says local MPs have not taken the gesture kindly. They see it as a strategy to build alternative alliances. Last year, Konoin MP Julius Kones and Kipkelion MP Magerer Langat were accused Raila of being cosy with their opponents.

Other sources indicate that the quiet war between the PM and MPs started during the allocation of slots for nominated councillors. The MPs reportedly wanted a say in the distribution of the slots, to reward their cronies.

"But Raila ruled that party organs be relied on to provide names of those to be nominated. MPs saw this as an attempt to render them powerless and an attempt by the PM to build a power base devoid of them," explains a party official from the South Rift.

But some Rift Valley MPs see this as Raila’s strategy to fight political opponents. Mr Lang’at points out the incident where Raila went to Chepalungu without local MP Isaac Ruto and decided where the new district headquarters would be.

"After deciding the district headquarters, what follows next? Won’t he decide who will be the next MP? Raila’s word can become law elsewhere, but not in Rift Valley," he said.

But a key ally of Raila points out that MPs allied to Agriculture Minister William Ruto believe they have burnt their bridges with the PM, and may not get ODM certificates to defend their seats.

He claimed they were preparing to jump out of ODM and strengthen another party. He further alleged that some MPs are reportedly unhappy with the newfound closeness between the PM and the President. To them, ODM would be stronger if it stuck to its traditional bases and treated Central Province as enemy territory.