PRESIDENT KIBAKI’S NYANZA TOUR SPARKS DEBATE
Posted by africanpress on July 15, 2009
By JEFF OTIENO
The intended official visit by President Mwai Kibaki to Luo Nyanza early next week ( around 22nd ) has sparked debate with keen political pundits arguing that it’s part of re-alignments a head of 2012 polls.
President Kibaki who has never stepped in Luo Nyanza since the last disputed General Elections which culminated to bloody battles, is scheduled to tour multi billion Japanese funded hydro-electric power project Sondu Miriu, commission the expansion of Kisumu airport, tour Yala swamp project among others according to sources within state house.
He will be accompanied by Prime Minister Raila Odinga who has of late been calculating how to tame some of the renegades in his ODM party under the tutelage of agriculture Minister William Ruto.
For starters, Ruto has been making in roads in the Prime Ministers home turf allegedly to entrench his roots and woo support a head of 2012 elections.
Sources within Rutos circles, confided to this writer how the combative Minister has even gone the full throttle to win the support of some of the prime Minister allies including Luo Councils of elders.
Some of the elders are attributing their shift of allegiance to resilient Ruto arguing that he’s more pragmatic and accessible.
“The man is more approachable I tell you my son”, confided one of the elders whose son the Minister fished out from the streets to land him a job in one of the parastatals after tarmacking for decades.
The Minister has embarked on aggressive scheme in Luo Nyanza region where in almost every constituency he has to hold a fund raising for either a church or school all in abid to entrench his roots.
It will be interesting to see what prompt political mechanisms the Prime Minister will deploy to neutralize Rutos schemes or else it will be too late for him according to keen political observers.
One school of thought is of the view that for the Prime Minister to survive Rutos onslaughts, he should crack the whip and relegate him to a lesser ministry where finances are scarce.
But the other thought sharply differs saying that it will earn the Minister mileage and reason to officially jump out of the ODM vessel to make fresh alliances which could be suicidal and costly.
The former ruling party KANU is said to be waiting in the fringes to capitalize in the event of a fall out in ODM if this week’s events are anything to go by.
KANU operatives who is also Homa Bay branch supremo Tom Alila early this week called a high powered consultative meeting in Nairobi where they’re slated to deliberate on crucial party issues.
Delegates drawn from all the branches of the Province interviewed have however dismissed a notion that they are either scheming for finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta or the former President’s son Gideon Moi.
The duo have of late been embroiled quiet wrangles and schemes to take control of the former ruling party in readiness for 2012 polls.
END.
