Kosgei defection adds to Raila’s woes

Prime Minister Raila Odinga suffered another political blow in the Rift Valley after Cabinet minister Sally Kosgei announced publicly that she had shifted allegiance to the group of ODM rebels allied to Eldoret North MP William Ruto.

A member of the Ruto group said it was only a matter of time before the six other allies of Mr Odinga from the Kalenjin community ditched the PM.

“The Raila-ODM wing is closing shop in the Rift Valley,” Dr Julius Kones (Konoin) told the Sunday Nation.

“Anyone who wants to go for an elective post in the region has to follow the people … the people are not with him (Mr Odinga).”

Dr Kosgei’s defection is particularly thought to be significant coming at a time when Mr Henry Kosgey, another of the Prime Minister’s last key supporters in the region, has reportedly fallen out with Mr Odinga.

“The party chairman (Mr Kosgey) has left the PM’s side; the deputy party leader (Mr Ruto) has also left and now one key minister. In the coming few weeks, you’re going to see more people (ODM MPs) joining our side,” Dr Kones claimed.

MPs allied to Mr Ruto, said Dr Kones, are on a mission to bring to their camp MPs from Rift Valley, Western Kenya and North Eastern in a plan meant to oust Mr Odinga from the PM’s post.

“Once we’re done, ODM will not have the numbers in the House and it (ODM) will have to relinquish the PM’s post,” said Dr Kones.

During the Friday rally at Kaptumo in her Aldai constituency, Dr Kosgei declared that she had severed ties with the party boss, adding that she was no longer enthusiastic about flying a ministerial flag.

“I have held higher positions in government before during the time of President Daniel arap Moi and, I am not afraid to let the flag go. It will not change my lifestyle,” she said.

“I have been in constant consultation with Mr Ruto and I want to assure you that we are together. We are one community and even Mr Kosgey, who is not here today, has sent his message.”

Whereas Mr Ruto enjoyed support from most of the MPs in the region, Dr Kosgei and Mr Kosgey, considered senior politicians, continued to pledge their support to the PM.

Their support appeared to bolster the confidence of the ODM party leader even when it was evident that his influence in the region was waning.

Dr Kosgei said the Kalenjin community will unite to ensure that its members who have been named on the list of International Criminal Court prosecutor Moreno Ocampo are not prosecuted at The Hague.

Mr Ruto said in an interview that the PM should forget any support from the Rift Valley.

The six MPs who are perceived to be supporters of Mr Odinga are Roads minister Franklin Bett, Energy assistant minister Magerer Langat (Kipkelion), Home Affairs assistant minister Beatrice Kones (Bomet), Environment assistant minister Margaret Kamar, Dr Joyce Cherono Laboso (Sotik), and nominated MP Musa Sirma.

However, the six are perceived to wield little influence in the Kalenjin politics at the moment.

On Saturday, Mr Langat told the Sunday Nation that even though ODM had suffered a “minor setback in the Rift Valley” with Dr Kosgei’s political divorce, it was a confirmation that “anti-reform forces were regrouping”.

“These people are moving away because they want to gang up to protect their past. But they have to know that the fight against corruption will find you whether you are in ODM or in any other party,” said Mr Langat.

“If they were sure the people were with them, they would have left the party a long time ago. You can see they don’t want to go and seek a fresh mandate. They want to stay in ODM.”

Mr Langat said that ODM’s and Mr Odinga’s campaign platform in the run-up to the 2007 elections was on reform, anti-corruption and accountability.

The Kipkelion MP said people he called former power-brokers in the Kanu regime were now engaged in a “fight with Chapter Six of the Constitution’’.

The chapter on “Leadership and Integrity” strives to eliminate nepotism, favouritism and corrupt practices from Kenya’s governance system.

The chapter’s vision is to rid the government of corruption, inject transparency and foster accountability in the country’s leadership.