Kibaki awaited at Ntimama ‘Yes’ rally

Supporters of draft constitution in Maasailand, led by Heritage minister William ole Ntimama, on Friday troop to the historic Suswa Grounds in Narok North district in a push for votes.

The venue where Narok meets Naivasha and Kajiado was used by the Maasai in 2005 to reject the then Wako draft.

On Thursday, the organising committee leader Salanket ole Nchoe, said Friday's rally, expected to be attended by President Kibaki, would “cleanse last week’s desecration” by the “No” side.

Maasai politicians, led by Mr Ntimama, assistant minister Gen Joseph Nkaissery, and Narok South MP Nkoidila ole Lankas had told former president Daniel Moi and the “Red” camp to stay away claiming it was a holy shrine.

The meeting, convened by former Narok South MP Stephen ole Ntutu and UDM Secretary General Martin ole Kamwaro, who are the leading “No” lights in the area, was seen as the highest indicator so far that the former MP had decided to take his supremacy battle with Mr Ntimama a notch higher.

While the Heritage minister is perceived as the undisputed Maasai leader, having only to contend occasionally with the challenge from Internal Security minister Prof George Saitoti, Mr Ntutu has increasingly become a thorn on the minister’s side.

This time round, Prof Saitoti alongside all the other sitting Maasai MPs from Laisamis and Samburu in the North to Kajiado in the South are on Mr Ntimama’s side.

Their opponents have, however, ganged up to form a formidable opposition which culminated in last week’s Suswa rally.

Addressing the meeting, Mr Ntutu dismissed Mr Ntimama as a spent force. The former legislator has to his advantage a large Kipsigis population in Narok South and in Kilgoris which he depends on to deliver the “No” vote.

He has also been using lawyers from the community to assert that the Maasai will lose the Maasai Mara and their land if the proposed laws are passed.

“On the whole, though, the “Yes” side has the upper hand in the region as the Maasai and Gikuyu, who are the majority, are likely to vote on Mr Ntimama’s side,” says Mr Joseph Ndalila, a political science lecturer at Moi University.