Raila reads the riot act to his rebel MPs

Prime Minister Raila Odinga Sunday read the riot act to rebel ODM MPs and asked them to toe the party line.

In what could be seen as a determined move to end division and discontent that has threatened to split the Orange party, Mr Odinga told the MPs to stop murmuring and strengthen the party.

The meeting supported ODM’s participation in the coalition government, but emphasised that the party must remain united as it strategises to secure power in 2012.

A hard-talking Mr Odinga did not mince words when he came face to face with the MPs, some of whom have been criticising his leadership and the party’s role in the Grand Coalition Government.

Criticise Raila

“If you want to criticise Raila, sema hapa hapa. Wacha kupiga kelele kwa magazeti (say it here and now. Stop making noise in the newspapers). I am a human being, not an angel nor God; I can make mistakes,” he said as he opened the two-day retreat for party MPs at Simba Lodge, Naivasha.

Mr Odinga came down heavily on the MPs as it emerged that the talks, which begun Sunday evening, aim at containing dissent and installing new officials.

Among the items on the agenda, the Nation learnt, was disbanding the Pentagon and installing new national officials with Mr Odinga as the party leader.

ODM is currently under a collective leadership of six representatives of key support blocs, Mr Odinga, Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi and Cabinet ministers William Ruto, Najib Balala, Joseph Nyaga and Charity Ngilu.

It also has a team of registered officials, but they are anonymous figures with no clout. An ODM think-tank has been working long hours on seeking acceptable solutions to the growing discontent among its MPs.

According to some officials at its secretariat, the Pentagon will be replaced by a team of interim officials who will run the party until its hold its grassroots elections in order to comply with the Political Parties Act.

The plan, it is understood, is to make Mr Odinga the party leader and make Mr Ruto his deputy while Mr Mudavadi and Mr Balala take other senior positions. Sources said Mr Ruto will be taking a high profile position ahead of Mr Mudavadi so that he can contain Rift Valley MPs, who have been critical of the PM’s position on the Mau Forest and appointment of ministers, assistant ministers and permanent secretaries.

Became divided

Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba, who has been at the forefront of the Grand Opposition initiative, may also be placated with a position in the new line-up.

Opening the Naivasha meeting, Mr Odinga responded to all the issues that have in the past been raised by dissenting MPs, and warned that he would not allow the party to be divided and killed.

“As we were negotiating, we were united, but after forming the Grand Coalition Government, we became divided. This is not going to be allowed,” he said.

And for the first time, Mr Odinga disclosed that ODM had been short-changed in the Grand Coalition it formed with PNU. Mr Odinga said negotiations between PNU and ODM before the formation of Grand Coalition went well, but things changed after it was formed.

The PM, who was meeting the MPs and other party members during first national governing council meeting since last year’s General Election, did not however specify how the party had been short-changed.

He explained that ODM entered a pact with President Kibaki’s PNU to end suffering in the country following the post-election violence, and pointed out that the party was still in the race to capture the country’s leadership.

Mr Odinga told MPs unhappy with his leadership to raise concerns through the party and stop issuing statements in public and media.

“This is not like an ordinary coalition that usually has willing partners. You can’t score into your own goal,” he said.

Mr Odinga, who is also MP for Lang’ata, said it was wrong for some MPs to criticise him just because they were not included in the Cabinet.

He said that even if ODM was to form the government alone, not everybody would have been included. “If it is a crime I left your name out of the Grand Coalition Government, I am sorry,” he said.

On Sunday, Mr Odinga who has been at loggerheads with some South Rift MPs over Mau Forest Complex, said environmental matters were part of ODM policy that cannot be compromised just so the party to maintain its support in the area.

He said people living in the forest would be settled elsewhere.

MPs Isaac Ruto (Chepalungu) and Franklin Bett (Buret) have been leading a group opposed to the evictions spearheaded by Mr Odinga to conserve one of the country’s biggest water towers. Mr Odinga said degradation of forest affects livelihoods of millions.

“The ODM party policy was clear in its environmental agenda especially with regard to the protection of the five water towers in Western and Rift Valley provinces”, Mr Odinga said.

Defended stance

He also defended his stance on performance contracts for teachers, saying the contracts were meant to measure the performance of civil servants for better delivery of services to Kenyans.

Cherengany MP Joseph Kutuny is among those who have opposed plans to place teachers on performance contracts.

Mr Odinga took issue with plans for the formation of Grand Opposition being championed by the ODM parliamentary group secretary, Mr Namwamba, among others. He said opposition only existed in ordinary circumstances, but it was wrong for MPs elected in a party that forms the governing coalition to also want to be in the opposition.

He said in such a coalition, ministers and back-benchers from the parties that form it keep each other on their toes for checks and balances.

Mr Odinga gave an example of Lands minister James Orengo blowing the whistle on the Grand Regency Hotel sale.

Whistle blower

“Where have you seen a minister turning into a whistle blower?” he asked.

Although party secretary-general Anyang’ Nyong’o insisted that the meeting was to endorse the ODM constitution in preparation for grassroots elections, some of its MPs said there was more to the meeting than it was publicly being portrayed.

These issues included discontent by some Rift Valley MPs who feel Mr Odinga had sidelined them, relationship with the coalition partner PNU, and the clamour by some lawmakers for formation of the Grand Official Opposition.

The leaders said ODM was now strategising in readiness for 2012 elections to meet the promises made to Kenyans.