| National Rainbow Coalition (Narc)
partners are equal and none can sack the other, ministers Raila Odinga and Kalonzo Musyoka
said yesterday. Liberal Democratic Party (LDP)
leading lights Raila and Kalonzo were speaking in Meru where they sought to explain to the
people why calls for their sacking from the Cabinet are futile.
The leaders explained at several rallies enroute to a
fund-raiser that in coalition governments the world over, none of the partners could
recommend the sacking of the other.
"In a coalition government, nobody can sack the other.
We are shocked that even some ministers, assistant ministers and MPs are ordering
President Kibaki to sack Raila and me. What have we done?" Kalonzo asked.
Several cabinet ministers, assistant ministers and MPs have
asked President Kibaki to sack ministers allied to the LDP for causing wrangles in the
ruling coalition.
Others have called on the President to dissolve his Cabinet
and reconstitute it afresh in order to end the infighting in the 18-month-old government.
But yesterday, the LDP leaders asked President Kibaki to be
bold and authoritatively instill discipline in his ministers and their assistants who are
calling for the sacking of others in his government.
"This is a case of gross indiscipline and misconduct.
Kibaki must be authoritative on the issue," added Kalonzo.
For his part, Raila said those calling for the sacking of
LDP-allied ministers from the government were misleading the President.
He said they sought to return the country to the "dark
old Kanu days" yet there was democratic space that the Narc government was trying to
cultivate.
Both Kalonzo and Raila emphasised their loyalty to the
President, explaining that this is why they dropped their presidential ambitions in 2002
in support of Kibaki.
"We have faith in President Kibaki. Kenyans should not
be cheated that we are undermining him. We have a duty to support the President and serve
his government faithfully," said Kalonzo.
The LDP leaders said they are not rebels as some other NAK
ministers have branded them. They, however, said they would continue speaking the truth at
whatever cost because this is the kind of democracy that Kenyans had elected them to
uphold.
"Some of us stand for absolute truth at whatever
cost," said Kalonzo. He was also quick to add that LDP leaders feel cheated over the
contentious Memorandum of Understanding which was never honoured after the elections.
At various meetings as they headed for a harambee in
Tigania East, Raila and Kalonzo revisited the issue of corruption, saying graft was
creeping back into the new government.
On the Constitution, Kalonzo said consensus-building should
not be taken out of Parliament, adding that some members of government are frustrating
efforts to give Kenyans the constitution that they deserve.
Raila said President Kibaki is fully committed to a new
Constitution but those around him continue shifting goal posts.
Kalonzo said as soon as the Parliamentary Select Committee
on Constitutional Reform is reconstituted on Tuesday, the Bomas Draft should be handed to
Parliament to map out the way forward.
The consensus-building efforts by MPs would not succeed as
long as some senior members of government keep on shifting goal posts to derail and delay
the process.
Earlier, attempts to frustrate the LDP leaders from
conducting a church harambee in Meru and address their supporters in the region fell flat
on the face when senior police officers and local councillors ignored orders which they
claimed had been issued by a senior Cabinet minister from the region. Police deployed at
various points in the region said they could not obey the orders. |
