Riddle persists over Cord leaders

By ISAAC ONGIRI iongiri@ke.nationmedia.com AND JUSTUS WANGA jwanga@ke.nationmedia.com, Posted  Saturday, April 27   2013 

IN SUMMARY

• MPs John Mutambu (Mwingi Central), John Munuve (Mwingi North), Francis Mwangangi (Yatta) and Robert Mutemi (Nominated) have rejected suggestions that they resign to allow Mr Musyoka’s return to Parliament.
• Kibra MP Ken Okoth who succeeded Mr Odinga as area MP says he has not been approached to relinquish his seat to give room for their party leader.

Kenyans might have to wait a little longer to know the next move former Prime Minister Raila Odinga and former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka will make weeks after they were bundled out of government.

Attempts to create room for Mr Musyoka in the National Assembly appeared to have slowed down following open resentment by MPs whose seats were being targeted to provide space for the Wiper Democratic Party leader.

Yesterday it emerged that concerted efforts were also being made to have Mr Odinga accept a proposal to return to the National Assembly to take over the minority leader’s seat if Mr Musyoka fails to negotiate his way back.

Mr Odinga, who has been keeping a low profile lately, was last evening expected to fly to Britain for unspecified private engagements.

Those pushing for Mr Odinga’s return to Parliament, the Sunday Nation established, have suggested that his elder brother Oburu Oginga be asked to resign as nominated MP to make way.

The former Bondo MP was edged out in a controversial nomination exercise before he found his way to Parliament through nomination.

Mr Odinga’s return could spark a power brawl with coalition partners over the leader of minority seat currently held in an acting capacity by Kitui West MP Francis Nyenze.

But Saturday, Machakos Senator Johnstone Muthama insisted that a committee chaired by Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang’ula to look into ways of facilitating Mr Musyoka’s return to Parliament had completed its work.

“The Wetang’ula committee has finished its work. We have come up with proposals and what we are now waiting for is for Mr Musyoka to personally tell us which seat he wants to go for and the rest will follow,” said Mr Muthama, who is also a member of the committee.

He declined to give details of the outcome of the deliberations of the team.

Former Kibwezi MP Kalembe Ndile yesterday claimed he has also been approached to withdraw a petition he has filed against Dr Patrick Musimba to allow Cord to engage the Independent MP to step down.

Said Mr Ndile, “It is true that I have been approached to withdraw my petition by some members of Cord. They are telling me my opponent in the last election is willing to leave his seat for Kalonzo. But I do not see any logic in that. I have told them I will not do it because Kibwezi people may be the former VP’s fans but they can’t elect him as their MP.”

Mr Nyenze yesterday said that modalities for the former VP’s return were still being worked out.

“It should however be remembered that this was not the former VP’s idea. It is something that came from the coalition and the party and really not him. He has also not asked any MP to resign for him,” said the acting minority leader.

The resistance by elected MPs to cede ground to allow a by-election in favour of Mr Musyoka has also forced some of his allies to focus on constituencies facing election petitions for alternatives.

Saturday, a Wiper MP intimated that Mr Musyoka could wait for the outcome of the election petition for Kibwezi parliamentary seat filed by Mr Ndile and consider contesting for the seat. But that would depend on the success of the petition.

MPs John Mutambu (Mwingi Central), John Munuve (Mwingi North), Francis Mwangangi (Yatta) and Robert Mutemi (Nominated) have rejected suggestions that they resign to allow Mr Musyoka’s return to Parliament.

Although a majority of MPs in Nyanza have opposed suggestions to have Mr Odinga return to the National Assembly, Nyatike MP Omondi Anyanga supported the idea and offered to step down if requested.“Mr Odinga has categorically stated that he would be comfortable serving in the opposition from outside the National Assembly. If he changes his mind that now it would be necessary for him to play his role from Parliament and I am requested to give way I will do it,” Mr Anyanga said.

But Kisumu West MP Olago Aluoch described as populist suggestions by some Members of Parliament and senators that they were ready to give up their seats for the two opposition leaders.

Said Mr Aluoch: “MPs offering to step down for either Mr Kalonzo or Mr Odinga are ignorant of provisions of the law. None can be elected MP or senator unless they are registered as voters in the counties or constituencies they are targeting”.

Last week, the former PM met a group of elders in Kisumu led by Ker Willis Otondi who reportedly advised him not fall to pressure to return to Parliament.

“The general mood among MPs from Nyanza is that Mr Odinga’s stature in politics is so towering that it would be embarrassing to have him back to Parliament. It is amazing that someone is pushing him to bend down to that level,” said Suna East MP Junet Mohammed.

Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo argues there are pros and cons on any decision Mr Odinga settles on concerning the push and shove to have him back in Parliament.

He says each of these has implications: “right now the minority seat is with Wiper and it will ruffle feathers if they are told to relinquish it,” he said.

A clear indication that it will create a rift between the two factions, Mr Gumbo says by virtue of being the Cord leader, Mr Odinga cannot play second fiddle to anyone in the alliance.

“The stature of the former PM cannot allow him to be anything less than the Cord leader if he were to return to Parliament,” he said, adding that the former Lang’ata MP should take his time before making a conclusive decision on this matter.

“I know there are strong and powerful forces out there who would want him back in Parliament for various reasons, I urge him to take his time to reflect on it,” he said.
Lobbies such as Friends of Raila, Sibanduki and Kisumu Elders led by Catholic Archbishop Zacheus Okoth have joined sections of Cord MPs who want Mr Odinga to reconsider his stance on this matter.

Kibra MP Ken Okoth who succeeded Mr Odinga as area MP says he has not been approached to relinquish his seat to give room for their party leader.

The former Lang’ata constituency was split into Lang’ata and Kibra constituencies by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission.

“So far I have not been approached over that but the party leader has himself said he is not interested in the seat,” said the MP.

Should the incessant push by the allies of Cord leaders succeed to have them return to Parliament, it would be interesting to see the kind of pecking order they settle on.