Kilimo Wakes Up in Eldoret

[Onyango Oloo]

Kilimo Now Joins ‘No’ camp


By BARRY SALIL & BENSON AMOLLO, Kenya Times, Sunday, October 9, 2005


IMMIGRATION Minister

Linah Jebii Kilimo yesterday made an about turn on the controversial proposed constitution and joined the “NO” proponents in one of the greatest blows for the Banana team.

Mrs. Kilimo made the surprise decision in a brief and rare press conference in Eldoret ahead of an expected “Orange” rally at her home turf of Kapsawor in Marakwet district tomorow. The minister said she had taken the decision after thorough consultations with the Marakwet East constituents and her community in general.

Kilimo who has been holding private consultations with the Marakwet leaders for the last three weeks at home, charged that the community stands to be marginalised if the proposed constitution is passed in the November 21 referendum.

She said the community had taken issue with the provision for the inheritence rights for women and a proposal that seeks to establish the viability of districts which threatens Marakwet district curved from the former Keiyo/Marakwet.

Marakwets, the minister asserted that had also rejected proposals on land and the removal of the provincial administration which is provided for in the Wako constitution that within six months if adopted, the offices ceases to exist.

Accompanied by several councillors led by the Marakwet County Council chairman Councillor Antony Nandwa, Kilimo who appeared seriously disburbed and under duress said she had no option but to abide by the wishes of her people.

“ The Marakwets are the ones who employed me and once they make A decision...I cannot ignore them, they have told me to disown the proposed constitution and I have no otherwise,” Kilmo said. However, the minister said her loyalty and that of the Marakwets to President Mwai Kibaki should not be confused with the constitution matter which touched on the welfare of the future gerneration. The minister joins other six ministers in the Orange camp who have defied the government’s claims that the constitution was a state project.

The ministers are Najib Balala, Kalonzo Musyoka, Raila Odinga, Ochilo Ayacho, Peter Anyang’ Nyong’o,William Ole Ntimama and now Lina Kilimo. During a leaders meeting at Chesoi on Friday, Marakwet leaders resolved to fully support the “NO” team and directed her to make her stance publicly or face the wrath of the electorate. She now joins David Sudi, the Marakwet West who also defied the odds and decamped from Nicholas Biwott team of Kanu.

Kilimo’s defection to the Orange Team, therefore comes barely a week after a meeting of elders from her Marakwet East Constituency, demanded that she declares her position on the draft debate.

Her defection is a big blow to the Banana team, having been a consistent loyalist of President Kibaki’s in Rift Valley. Together with her Regional Cooperation counterpart John Koech, Agriculture Minister Kipruto Kirwa and Assistant Ministers Asman Kamama, Alicen Chelaite and Stephen Tarus, Kilimo has been the Yes proponent’s point person in pursuing the Rift Valley votes.

[Onyango Oloo]

Kilimo Defects to Orange team

By Standard Team

State Minister Linah Chebii Kilimo’s has deserted the Banana team for the Orange camp.

Impeccable sources said President Mwai Kibaki is having difficulties rallying his troops for a concerted onslaught against the advancing ‘No’ campaign.

Among the disenchanted is Health Minister Charity Ngilu, who, the sources say, will make a major statement on Tuesday "and it is unlikely to be in favour of ‘Yes’ unless by then she is formally recognised as the Banana leader in Ukambani".

And as the Orange team shook Western Province yesterday, amid sporadic violence, ‘Yes’ leaders from Coast Province were preparing to hand over to the President a list of demands to be fulfilled before they can "successfully deliver" on the ‘Yes’ vote.

These conditions, arrived at at a meeting chaired by Tourism Minister Morris Dzoro on Friday night, included the demand that just as Amboseli was given to Olkejuado County Council, the government should immediately handover the Shimba Game Reserve and Kisite Marine Park to the County Council of Kilifi.

And while the Banana leaders dismissed Kilimo’s defection as of no consequence, The Sunday Standard learnt that Gender and Sports Assistant Minister Alicen Chelaite will also be decamping to the Orange movement soon.

This would leave only East African Cooperation Minister John Koech — whose bodyguards had to shoot in the air yesterday to repulse a hostile crowd in Sotik — and his Agriculture counterpart Kipruto Kirwa to lead the ‘Yes’ campaign in the Rift Valley.

Nominated Narc MP Franklin Bett and Bureti MP Paul Sang arrived at the scene as Koech was being driven off and the crowd wildly cheered them demanding that the MPs address them. Education Minister Prof George Saitoti has steered clear of the referendum debate since his Maasai compatriot and Minister of State William Ole Ntimama led the Maa community in rejecting the Draft last weekend.

In Maua, Meru, five pro-Banana ministers yesterday renewed their call to President Kibaki to sack the rebel ministers championing the Orange campaign.

They were led by Energy Minister Simeon Nyachae and Justice Minister Kiraitu Murungi.

Kiraitu said President Kibaki’s leniency had been abused for too long but declared that enough is enough. He vowed to lead the campaign to sack the rebels. Quoting from the Bible, Kiraitu said, "There is time for everything and every thing has an end."

Nyachae and Kiraitu’s sentiments were echoed by fellow ministers Njenga Karume, Njeru Ndwiga, Chris Murungaru and David Mwiraria in unison with four assistant ministers and 10 other MPs.

Karume recalled that "Raila’s father the late Jaramogi Oginga Odinga nagged the former President Jomo Kenyatta for years prompting his sack as the VP" and warned that a similar fate is soon to befall Raila.

Kilimo becomes the seventh Cabinet minister directly campaigning against the adoption of the Draft Constitution. She asked Kenyans, and especially her Marakwet communities, to join those opposed to the Wako Draft and vote against it during the November 21 referendum.

The minister, who announced her decision at a press conference in Eldoret, however, emphasised she will remain loyal to President Kibaki and the Narc Government.

Kilimo’s announcement was made only a day after she held a meeting with a group of civic leaders and her Marakwet constituents at Chesoi. The Friday meeting resolved that the Marakwet’s reject the Wako Draft constitution principally over the land question and the eradication of the Provincial Administration.

"The decision to reject the Wako Draft is based on resolutions reached by my electorate… Chiefs have played an important role in the restoration of peace in the Kerio Valley and scrapping the Provincial Administration will have far-reaching effects on the local people. Furthermore, most land in Kerio Valley is classified as trust land where there are no title deeds. We cannot accept that its ownership be placed under the National Land Commission," said the minister.

Kilimo also said the proposal that women inherit land at their places of birth is against African traditions. "Although the Marakwet people have benefited immensely from the Narc Government, the Constitution is a totally different matter," she said.

In Bungoma, Leader of Official Opposition Uhuru Kenyatta, together with ministers Raila Odinga Kalonzo Musyoka, Anyang’ Nyong’o, Ochillo Ayacko and over 40 MPs said the Orange camp would win the referendum and called on Kenyans to demand the constitution they made at Bomas.

Former Vice President Musalia Mudavadi said he was speaking from experience and asked Ford Kenya Chairman Musikari Kombo and Trade Minister Dr Mukhisa Kituyi to switch sides before they taste defeat in the November 21vote. Kombo, Kituyi and assistant minister Moses Wetangula hail from Bungoma.

"When defeat is looming you become blind even to simple common sense. People advise you against it and you insist and stick on the wrong path. When you lose, you feel pitiable, lose friends and face rejection," Mudavadi said adding, "Kombo, Awori and Kituyi are my friends. I beckon them to come to the side of winners or face rejection," Mudavadi said.

The team got to Bungoma in a convoy of about 60 vehicles after driving through Kakamega, Kaburengo and Webuye. But the convoy’s warm welcome was cut short as it got to Chwele, in Wetangula’s Sirisia Constituency, where the leaders were pelted with stones by "Banana" chanting youths.

Scores of people were injured as Orange youths descended on the stone throwers with clubs and whips and quickly repulsed the attackers.

Police quickly cocked their guns and shoved the Banana youths who were singing circumcision songs in the local Bukusu dialect.

Defiant Orange leaders defied the hostility at Chwele and addressed the crowd.

The Orange team then received a heroic welcome in Bungoma town where it drove around in a lap of honour as they were greeted by Orange-wielding supporters.

Kalonzo accused Kombo of being a coward and a liar. The Environment Minister said he agreed with Kombo during their recent visit to New York, USA, that they would tell the President how unpopular the Draft was. "But Kombo has wavered."

Kalonzo said their rivals in the Banana camp contributed very little in the campaigns that brought Kibaki to power in 2002. "Where was Kombo, Kiraitu Murungi or even Chris Murungaru as we traversed Kenya soliciting for votes in 2002? We were only with the late Michael Wamalwa," Kalonzo said.

Planning Minister Anyang’ Nyong’o said: "We are the government and we are preparing for yet another victory of selfless leaders who are not tainted by corruption and Anglo-Leasing scandal."

But Kombo, who was campaigning in Butula and Budalangi, rubbished Kalonzo’s claims terming him "a sick man".

"Kalonzo has never reached out to me," Kombo said.

MPs present at the Orange rally included George Khaniri, Andrew Ligale, Kenneth Marende, and Moffat Maitha.

In Mombasa, the Friday night meeting was attended by some 140 grassroots leaders from various parts of the Coast Province. They included over 50 councillors, youth and women representatives both from the ‘Yes’ and ‘No’ camps.

At the secret meeting, called by Dzoro and Assistant Minister Ananiah Mwaboza, the defiant councillors also demanded that the government immediately opens the Mariakani Milk Scheme in Kaloleni Constituency, Dzoro’s turf.

The councillors warned all Coast MPs allied to the ‘Yes’ camp against ignoring civic leaders and choosing to work with "perennial political losers".

"You have continued to isolate us but you will see the impact in November 21," said Esther Kache of Mnarani ward, Bahari constituency.

In Ukambani, a major row has erupted threatening to paralyse the banana campaign in the region. At the centre of the row is Ngilu on one hand and Minister Joseph Munyao together with Assistant Minister Mutua Katuku on the other.

Ngilu, who has been an influential Narc leader, has allegedly been sidelined by the NAK wing in Government in the campaigns.

But last week Ngilu downplayed the matter: "I am just depressed because my people are starving and there is no way I can go out to tell them about voting when they are suffering."

Ngilu, who held a closed door meeting with the President in State House last week, is set to make her stand known on Tuesday.

But Katuku denied they had sidelined Ngilu in the campaigns.

Meanwhile, in a two-phased Banana campaign strategy, the President is to stay out of the referendum campaigns until the official Electoral Commission of Kenya campaign period starts, on October 21.

The plan is for all MPs supportive of the Proposed New Constitution to work the grassroots in intensive civic education in support of the Draft in a plan which insiders in the Kibaki campaign say marks a departure from the approach taken by the Orange camp.

"It is easy to draw huge crowds in urban centres where, in every country in the Third World, you’ll find thousands of unemployed youth disenchanted with the government.

"Unlike Orange, our plan is to go directly to the villages where the people have more readily witnessed improvement in their living status in the last three years," an insider in the central planning committee of the Narc campaign said on Friday.