President Kibaki intervention sees Kalonzo allowed back to G7

By Standard Reporter

President Kibaki has stepped in to end the infighting in the G7 that appeared to have resulted in Kalonzo Musyoka being forced out of the alliance.

The President’s intervention Friday led to a ceasefire at the end of a long day in which the Vice-President was working behind the scenes to keep his place in the alliance. Sources say Kalonzo worked the phones repeatedly on Thursday afternoon and Friday morning, reaching out to Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto.

The VP also had a one-hour closed-door meeting with President Kibaki at Harambee House, Nairobi, at which the recent turn of events was discussed.

While his spokesman insists the meeting was "a routine consultative meeting" on other issues, other sources say Kalonzo sought the President’s intervention. Matters came to a head on Thursday when Kalonzo’s G7 allies tried to pressure him into supporting efforts to kick out Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Mutula Kilonzo.

The planned censure, which was eventually abandoned, was intended as punishment for the Justice Minister’s insistence Uhuru and Ruto cannot contest the presidency while committed to trial by the International Criminal Court over crimes against humanity.

Friday evening, the VP held another meeting with Uhuru and Ruto at the Norfolk Hotel at which the three leaders thrashed out a basic deal on how to end the hostilities. The meeting also resolved that allies of the G7 leaders would avoid public utterances on their differences.

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka. Photo: Standard

Described as a meeting to "thaw" icy relations between the three, it saw them agree to form a representative team to deal with all G7 issues, including organising joint rallies. On Thursday, two allies of the VP involved in co-ordinating G7 activities were forced out from their roles. This, too, was punishment for apparently pushing the argument Kalonzo should be the group’s obvious presidential candidate should Uhuru and Ruto not be eligible due to their recent committal to trial at the ICC. It is believed the Norfolk meeting was prompted by a call from Kibaki.

Main objective

Addressing journalists after the evening meeting, Uhuru Kenyatta admitted the G7 leaders "have issues (between them) that need to be addressed".

However, he insisted these would not weaken the alliance nor distract it from its main objective.

"We have a higher objective, which is to unite Kenyans in the run-up to the election, regardless of the differences," Uhuru declared. "We will not take our eye off the ball."

Eldoret North MP William Ruto said the issues affecting the G7’s unity had been "blown out of proportion". He pledged the group’s leaders would move as a team to bring Kenyans together. Kalonzo said the G7 alliance was strong, and will become stronger. "We are engaged in frank discussions on these issues."

Allies of the Vice-President spent the day scrambling to play down the impact of the political kick in the teeth he received on Thursday. Most seemed to have no idea what his next move would be, with suggestions that he would go it alone, seek to mend fences in G7 or seek an alliance with another group or politician. Some expressed anger at the way in which the VP has come under attack, with one describing the tactics used as "mob justice".

ODM-Kenya leaders who spoke to The Standard On Saturday are adamant Kalonzo has done nothing to encourage the ‘alternative candidate’ theory that broke the camel’s back in his unhappy alliance with Uhuru and Ruto. Whether the VP was behind it or the victim of external propaganda, the talk ended costing him in the alliance.

Two allies who this week attempted to push the idea of Kalonzo as an alternative candidate paid for their gambit by being shoved aside. Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni, who floated the idea to The Standard On Saturday last week, and Kangundo MP Johnstone Muthama, who hinted at it at the G7’s rally in Machakos the same day, were pushed out as the group’s event co-ordinators.

Some politicians linked to the G7’s top leaders could barely hide their joy at the apparent sidelining of Kalonzo and his allies. Justice Assistant Minister William Cheptumo and Chepalungu MP Isaac Ruto, however, called for an end to the verbal attacks on the VP and Mutula before they became "counterproductive".

Following the turmoil, the VP and his G7 rivals have separate itineraries for this weekend. While Uhuru and Ruto will be in Nyandarua today touring Ndaragwa, Nyahururu, Ol Kalau and Oljororok, the VP will be attending a function in Naivasha before flying to Machakos for the burial of former Deputy Police Commissioner Mary Mwangangi.

Earlier in the day, Kalonzo, Uhuru and Ruto were among the hundreds of mourners gathered at a Requiem Mass for Rose Waruinge, a prominent Nairobi lawyer related to the Kenyatta family who was shot dead during a robbery at her home last week. Kalonzo, who arrived last, exchanged greetings with Uhuru and Ruto before he took his seat. He and Uhuru steered clear of G7 politics when asked to address the mourners.

Instead, Uhuru joked about asking "his boss" the VP to put in a good word for him in his fight to retain his position in Cabinet as Deputy Prime Minister. Kalonzo promised Uhuru the support he needed. The VP then left the venue early, with his aides saying he was expected at the Requiem Mass for Mwangangi, a former Traffic Commandant.

Even as Kalonzo was reaching out to Kibaki, Uhuru and Ruto, members of his inner circle were busy making plans for any eventuality. Yesterday, the Wiper Democratic Movement Party (WDMP) announced it will convene an urgent National Executive Committee and Parliamentary Group meeting on Monday to discuss recent developments in the G7. Party Secretary-General Mutula Kilonzo said he was not concerned about the prospect of ODM-Kenya or Kalonzo being pushed out.

"I am happy as we can now find our own path," Mutula said. He dismissed the G7 is an entity not recognised under the Political Parties Act. WDMP Deputy Vice Chairman Mr David Musila confirmed the NEC/PG meeting to be held on Monday.

Team player

"We have called for a meeting for Monday to issue a comprehensive statement on the issue," Mr Musila said. He said the VP had been trying to be a team player in the G7, but is ready to go it alone if necessary.

"We have been in the process of strengthening the party," he said.

Nominated MP Mohamed Affey said neither Kalonzo nor ODM-Kenya are worried by the developing events. "We just see this as turbulence," he said. Affey argued that the final decision as to whether the VP is with the G7 remains with Uhuru and Ruto and not those around them.

At the same time Mr Mutula said by edging out Kalonzo, Uhuru and Ruto and their supporters were losing the only leader who has no baggage or scandals.

"They will look for Wiper one day and I hope that they will have settled their issues," Mutula said.

Much of the infighting was tied to a push to get Mutula out of the Justice ministry. The Standard On Saturday has established that the plan hatched by allies of Uhuru and Ruto had called for the VP to put his signature on the petition to censure Mutula, making it easier for the President to seal the Mbooni MP’s fate in the Cabinet.

Demands were also made on the VP to write to the President to fire Mutula but Kalonzo declined. The incident followed another at Machakos where a Cabinet minister was allegedly sent to the VP by Uhuru and Ruto to advise him not to attend another rally at Kitengela after a disagreement on the translation of remarks by Muthama in Kamba on the ICC issue.

Allies of Ruto and Uhuru alleged that Kalonzo had been advised not to attend the G7 prayer rallies in Eldoret, Ruiru and Meru, but he did so against the will of the two.

Former Gatanga MP David Murathe was blunt: "Kalonzo is of little consequence in the alliance. It can do without him." Asked if Uhuru had shunted Kalonzo, the Deputy Prime Minister’s Director of Communication, Mr Munyori Buku, was reluctant to wade into the matter.

Friday Machakos MP Dr Victor Munyaka accused Uhuru and Ruto of making unrealistic and emotional demands meant to undermine the dignity of the Vice President.

"The VP was right to decline to sign that petition," Munyaka stated. "Their demand on Mutula is impossible. They must know that Kibaki doesn’t act on emotionally motivated decisions." Dr Munyaka revealed how the VP has been humiliated in the group with some MPs treating him like an intruder inside the G7.

"Now let them know whether they like it or not, the exit of Kalonzo from the G7 alliance is a blow and it must inflict political pain on them," the Machakos MP said. He blamed two Ukambani MPs for maliciously translating the remarks by Muthama. He warned that the two will soon be dealt with by voters.

In a separate interview, Muthama said Kalonzo will now kick off a series of countrywide tours on his own to consolidate his own support.

"If it is true the way we have read in the press that Uhuru and Ruto have kicked Kalonzo out of the G7 then we can say it is a blessing for us in one way.

The VP will soldier on," he stated. He dismissed claims that his utterances at the Machakos rally has led to Kalonzo’s tribulations arguing that those advancing the arguments are dishonest.

The feeling in Uhuru and Ruto’s camp is that the VP gate crashed in the prayer rallies after failing to make any meaningful financial contributions to facilitate the events.

"During the planning moments he is nowhere then always appeared at the venue shortly after Uhuru and Ruto to rip where he did not sow. One of the reason we decided to kick him out is because of his opportunistic tendencies which most MPs don’t like," said an MP.

But nominated Mohamed Affey said he represented the VP is all the planning meetings for the prayer rallies and denied that the Kalonzo was gate crashing the rallies.

"I was a member of the team that organized those rallies. I represented Kalonzo there. Its ridiculous that someone would suggest that the VP was not in it,"Affey stated. He accused MPs allied to Uhuru and Ruto of perpetuating mob-justice politics and castigated them for disparaging and humiliating the VP without respect to his person and position.

Some of Kalonzo’s allies revealed that though the VP has not decisively come up with a clear plan to combat the political uncertainties facing him the group will be weighing their options. Kibwezi MP Prof Philip Kaloki said that VP will offer to mend fences with Uhuru and Ruto but will widen his negotiations if the two are not willing to talk.

"First let people know that the VP has put his machinery in place and his name will be in the ballot. " He added Kalonzo may begin talks with other leaders outside the G7 to build a formidable alliance capable of forming the next government.

Reporting by Isaac Ongiri, Juma Kwayera and Vitalis Kimutai