DEAL CUT: Former President Daniel Arap Moi with PM Raila Odinga
PRIME Minister Raila Odinga and the Moi family have cut a political deal. Gideon Moi will be appointed to head the Mau Forest evictees’ resettlement committee. And former President Daniel arap Moi will be allowed to keep the Kiptagich Tea Factory. In return, Gideon will help Raila secure the Kalenjin community votes in next year’s general election.
Raila is expected to make the appointment in tomorrow’s issue of the Kenya Gazette. Gideon will lead the committee that will also include East African Cooperation minister Musa Sirma, Energy assistant minister Magerer Langat, assistant minister in the Vice-President’s office Beatrice Kones, and Sotik MP Joyce Laboso.
Gideon’s appointment will end plans to demolish his father’s multimillion-shilling Kiptagich Tea Factory that the Mau Forest task force decided was inside the gazetted forest and should be done away with. “By giving Gideon the job, it is an endorsement that he (retired President Moi) will not be touched as no one can evict himself,” said a Kanu member who did not want to be named.
Gideon will be able to take the credit among the Kalenjin if the resettlement is successful. It will be a win-win scenario for Raila because he will be able to claim credit for facilitating the resettlement, but should it fail, he can distance himself by saying he handed over the programme to the community leaders.
All the MPs appointed by the PM to the resettlement committee are his political allies although they are from the Kalenjin community that largely favours William Ruto for President in the 2012 election. “After Ruto’s exit from ODM, Raila is combing every corner of the Rift Valley for people to spearhead his campaign in the region. He has realised his allies in ODM cannot do it on their own and if Moi endorses him, it will give him a big advantage,” said the Kanu official.
“He is also telling Ruto that we can sort out this issue without you. That is why he left out Ruto’s allies from the resettlement committee including area MP Zakayo Cheruiyot,” said the Kanu official. The controversial first phase of the Mau evictions targeted settlers without title deeds in December 2009. The second phase targets settlers with titles within the forest but is yet to start.
Former Pesident Moi and his former aide Joshua Kulei were guests at the wedding of Raila Jr and Yvonne Kibukosya earlier this month. Moi received a rapturous welcome from Raila’s allies from Nyanza who formed the bulk of the guests at the wedding. The MPs who included some Cabinet ministers chanted ‘Nyayo! Nyayo!’ and applauded as Moi entered the venue.
A pleasantly surprised Moi was jovial as he addressed the guests and reminded them of the importance of dialogue. “Even if I have have different views, it does not matter. We should not differ at all. We can sit around the table and even share a meal because we are guided by love,” he said.
Raila told the wedding guests that unity among Kenyans was paramount. “This animal called tribalism is dying. Tribes only exist in people’s imaginations. We can make Kenya great if we shun divisions,” said Raila.
Observers said the presence of Moi was an indication of high level politics being played out during the wedding. “Who sent an invite to Moi for Raila’s son’s wedding? Obviously the card was not sent through a courier. There must have been some emissaries,” an MP from Rift Valley said.
The MP said it was not a coincidence that Chief Justice Willy Mutunga paid a courtesy call on Moi at his home at Kabarnet Gardens soon after the wedding. “The visit was meant to ease tensions and assure the old man that the CJ was not there on a specific mission to fix some people but was there to work for all people,” said the MP.
Speculation has been rife that the CJ’s visit was made at the request of Moi. However, Moi’s long-serving press secretary Lee Njiru said the courtesy call was made at the request of the CJ to discuss the ongoing reforms he has initiated in the Judiciary.
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