Raila wins backing on Mau campaign

• Critics stay away as Prime Minister is assured of support on tree planting drive

Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Friday led a strong team of Cabinet ministers, MPs and diplomats in planting 20,000 tree seedlings to launch the Mau Forest rehabilitation plan.

They were joined by wananchi who walked from the neighbouring Elburgon, Molo and Njoro while others drove from as far as Nairobi in planting what was described as the first seeds of rehabilitating Kenya’s five water towers.

International backing

And the diplomats present from the United Nations, European Union, international organisations and the other four East African Community nations made it clear that the plan had international backing.

The run-up to the function generated controversy when it became clear that President Kibaki would skip the event despite initially having been slated to lead the campaign alongside the Prime Minister.

The political undertones were evident on Friday as speaker after speaker lauded Mr Odinga and promised to stand by him in effort to conserve the Mau.

Absent from the function were key cabinet ministers who have been hitting out at the Prime Minister over the Mau campaign.

President Kibaki was swearing in judges to the court which will arbitrate disputes in the next phase of the constitutional review in Nairobi, while Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka was in Mozambique.

The VP’s allies in the so-called KKK alliance, Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Agriculture minister William Ruto were absent, as were most of the MPs from the region allied to Mr Ruto against Mr Odinga in the ODM divide.

However cabinet ministers present stressed that the function had the President’s blessings and there was no going back in the government’s determination to reclaim and rehabilitate water catchment areas.

Notable MPs present from the areas whose population has opposed the exercise, were Industrialisation Minister Henry Kosgey, Kipkelion MP Langat Magerer and nominated MP Musa Sirma.

Mr Odinga said: “You can see the government is here. Today is not for politics. When we finish this job even those opposed to what we are doing will realise the importance of this exercise.”

Mr Odinga said other water towers, Mt Kenya, the Aberdares, Mt Elgon, Cherangani will also be conserved. He announced that an authority will be created to oversee the conservation.

“As leaders we cannot stand by and watch Kenya lose her future. The environment has direct impact on our well being. That is why we are taking this first step,” he said.

He called on leaders to avoid taking the easy or popular decisions adding that he was glad Kenyans now see the link between destruction of forests and drought and power shortages but more needed to be done to appreciate the urgency of what the country is confronting.