President Kibaki (right) and PM Raila Odinga met at Harambee House on Tuesday, their first since PM's controversial suspension of Ministers Ruto and Ongeri. Photo/FILE
By Mutahi Basse
President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga met face to face on Tuesday at Harambee House, their first since PM’s controversial suspension of ministers William Ruto (Agriculture) and Prof Sam Ongeri (Education) over graft allegations in their respective ministries
This comes just hours before the official opening of Parliament later in the afternoon, where the President is expected to preside over the State opening of the 10th Parliament. The Prime Minister is expected to attend.
The two coalition parties’ Chief Whips Jakoyo Midiwo (ODM) and George Thuo (PNU), and Speaker Kenneth Marende also met the President on Tuesday.
It is not yet clear what President Kibaki and Prime Minister Odinga discussed in the meeting, but sources said Government’s agenda for this session of Parliament featured prominently.
The two coalition leaders had spoken on phone last week on Wednesday and agreed to meet after the PM returned from an official visit in Japan, but there were disagreements on when the meeting would actually take place.
Mr Odinga had suspended the two Cabinet ministers on Sunday last week, but hours later the President overturned the suspensions, saying the move was unconstitutional. The action by the President sparked a political standoff.
Orange Democratic Movement, a coalition party to which the PM belongs then declared a crisis, and called on the intervention of former UN secretary general Kofi Annan and the AU panel to convene a meeting to resolve the impasse.
The party also resolved to boycott Cabinet meetings until the impasse was resolved.
But Mr Annan did not specifically respond to ODM’s call for a meeting, only decrying the political row. He, however, asked the two principals to meet urgently to agree on how they would work together on issues, including corruption and reforms.
Tuesday’s meeting is a crucial show of unity for the Government, and could help parliamentarians work together in speedily reaching reform deals.
Sources said that during the meeting with the Chief Whips, President Kibaki told them of the need for MPs to be united in passing legislation.
The President left for State House shortly before 12:30 pm and is expected to address Parliament as he opens a new session of the House.
This session of Parliament is expected to have a busy legislative agenda, with the most onerous being the constitutional review.
There are plans to amend laws to allow for the implementation of the Sh22 billion stimulus package proposed in the Finance Act 2009. The Constituency Development Act is also expected to be amended to ensure efficiency in the use of devolved funds, among other legislative tasks.
The meeting of the two leaders on Tuesday could stem the feud that was likely to play out in Parliament as it reconvenes, on the question of who would be the Leader of Government Business, with the PNU party having declared its intention to introduce a motion changing the Standing Orders to give the President powers to make the appointment.
The Government has been without a leader in the House for close to a year now, since the Prime Minister and his party objected to the President’s re-appointment of Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka.
Additional reporting by Lucas Barasa
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