Ruto: I will not cut links with PM over Mau

• Agriculture minister reacts to media reports that he is ready to go separate ways with Mr Odinga over Mau.
• PM has insisted that he will not backtrack on conserving the water tower.
• Mr Ruto says leaders have no choice but to deliver on conservation of Mau.

Agriculture minister William Ruto has said he will not sever links with Prime Minister Raila Odinga over the Mau Complex dispute.

Giving what he termed his "humble" stand on the debate over the handling of squatters at the 400,000 hectares key water tower, Mr Ruto denied saying he will cut links with Mr Odinga if the settlers are not compensated.

The Eldoret North MP who is regarded as Rift Valley political king-pin and whose supporters have been at loggerheads with Mr Odinga over planned removal of squatters from Mau said: "the issue of Mau is not about politics."

"It is about conservation. We should leave politics out of this, address it on its own merit and not trivialise issues," Mr Ruto said and called for "concerted, unified" efforts in resettlement of the squatters.

He said leaders had no choice but to deliver on conservation of Mau.

Cut links

The ODM deputy leader was quoted in section of media on Tuesday as saying he was ready to cut links with Mr Odinga if squatters at Mau are evicted without compensation.

But in reaction to a question from journalists at his Kilimo House office on Wednesday, Mr Ruto said: "Show me the tape (recorder) which shows I said that."

Some Rift Valley MPs allied to Mr Ruto have also been saying they were ready to shift their support from Mr Odinga and ODM over Mau.

Mr Odinga has also said he was ready sacrifice his political support and cut links with the Rift Valley leaders over Mau for the sake of future generations.

The PM enjoyed huge support from the region in the last general elections with locals voting for him almost to a man, but the MPs allied to Mr Ruto now say he has betrayed them by vouching for removal of Mau settlers.

Mr Ruto insisted that people living in Mau, who had title deeds, should only be removed after being compensated or given alternative land.

Cheap politics

"If by saying they should be compensated or re-settled elsewhere is being a tribalist, so be it. We are opposed to forceful, vicious evictions," he said adding that there were attempts to portray MPs agitating for compensation as tribalists or playing cheap politics.

Mr Odinga is on record telling MPs to stop playing cheap politics over Mau.

Mr Ruto said Kalenjin MPs understood the importance of conserving Mau and were ready to assist in such efforts.  

"I believe the matter will be resolved. What we are seeing is politics with some of us being portrayed as bad. There’s no talk of when the squatters will be given alternative site," he said.

The minister said President also gave title deeds to some of the settlers who are targeted for eviction.