THE DISASTROUS CAT AND MOUSE GAMES BY PNU THAT WILL DESTROY KENYA

Some people think, especially those sitting in PNU Headquarters, including the little known Mwakwere(I don't even know where he was in 90's) that RAILA needs a toilet or missing a carpet to stand on, Infact, they seems very ignorant on why Kenyans voted for RAILA or change for that matter while they voted by tribal affiliations. The PNU stalwarts are now a nuisance to us Kenyans thinking that they are doing some good for our country. RAILA was only talking of how respect can be simple for him as being an equal partner with President Kibaki. There is a red carpet for Kibaki but not for Raila..Kind of story.... But RAILA meant more that you need to know and work on...

Contrary to the PNU openness to Raila, The Prime Minister, has expressed some very disturbing things that need to be addressed if we need to succeed in the Grand Coalition and hold the country together. The Country is bigger than all of us and everyone should remove the ego and move as equal partners. ODM is in the government through the Koffi Annan led National Reconciliation Agrrements.

ON CORRUPTION AND REFORMS:

On war against graft, the PM says he personally recommended suspensions of former Kenya Pipeline Corporation Managing Director George Okungu, following the Triton oil scandal and Achieng’ Ong’ong’a of Kenya Tourism Board, for alleged impropriety. However, his words fell on deaf ears when it came to the Kenya Airports Authority Managing Director George Muhoho. Instead, Muhoho, 71, who is linked to the controversial, multi-billion-shilling project by Qatari investors on Jomo Kenyatta International Airport land, was awarded an extended contract. "Have I not exhibited my resolve to deal with graft, irrespective of one’s tribe or political affiliation? So why did everything halt when I touched on Muhoho?" he posed. Muhoho is a former minister, and uncle of Finance Minister Uhuru Kenya.

ON ISSUES REGARDING RENEGING OF KOFFI ANNAN NATIONAL RECONCILIATION GREEMENTS:

PROTOCOLS: The Grand Coalition Cabinet, which has split along party lines by raging debate on how much executive power President Kibaki let go to Raila, has not met. The leaders have been pursuing their own separate diaries – away from each other –

The PM alleges a systematic and well-choreographed strategy to isolate him from Government’s key operations. Pointing at recent visits of Heads of Stateof Iran, Burundi and Turkey, the PM said he was kept in the dark and was never invited for inter-governmental meetings with the visiting presidents. In all instances, he said, he got the information when the leaders had arrived and his office hurriedly organised for "courtesy calls". "Even if I am not needed in the meetings, can’t they ask me to second my staff to at least take notes of the proceedings? How do they keep me out and at the same time expect me to effectively co-ordinate the functions of Government?" he asked.

PRESIDENTIAL AND STATE FUNCTIONS:

The PM maintains that In the same manner the VP welcomes the President at the airport on arrival from a foreign trip or at public functions is the same way Raila anticipates his deputies to relate with him over state functions. However, Musalia Mudavadi does, but not Uhuru. "Uhuru and some of his colleagues in PNU have refused to accept the reality that ODM is in government. That is why he can afford to be contemptuous of his boss (PM)," observes Raila.

EXTRA-JUDICAL KILLING:

But it is the handling of the murders of Oscar Foundation officials, Oscar Kinga’ra and John Oulu that irked PM most. The two human rights activists were gunned down near the University of Nairobi, triggering protests from students and the civil society. In letter dated March 9, addressed to Internal Security Minister George Saitoti, the PM directed Government immediately engages America’s Federal Bureau Investigation to unravel the mysterious murders. To the PM’s dismay, however, he got a call from US Ambassador Michael Ranneberger informing him that the Kenyan Government had declined offer of FBI help. A letter from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated the Government was not interested in help, as it had adequate capacity to handle the cases. "The minister not only snubbed my letter, but instead communicated to his Foreign Affairs colleague, who in turn wrote to the US Embassy. And you can imagine, all these funny games were going on behind my back!" reacts the PM.

CO-OPERATION FROM THE CABINET:

RAILA spoke of deliberate ploy to cripple his ‘supervisory’ and ‘co-ordination’ of operation of Government ministries. He this was hindering the coalition from delivering on its promises to wananchi. Raila also said some ministers from PNU were not co-operating with him. While they initially showed interest in working with him, he claims they "create all sorts of excuses to stay away from my meetings or functions".

ON PM's SALARY: Regarding the raging debate over his salary, the PM said he received a letter of appointment from the President spelling out his salary, job description, and duties. He describes the President’s gesture as "derogatory and disrespectful". "He gave me an appointment letter, same as those handed out to ministers. How can one partner purport to employeethe other and even spell out his roles, which are — by the way — in the public domain as they are enshrined in the constitution?" the PM went on. Noting that salaries of senior Government officials, including the President’s, are too high and need "to be slashed considerably". Raila explained his was not a campaign for pay. "This issue is not about the amount but rather the principle. As a partner in the coalition, I will not accept to be remunerated at par with a deputy of my partner. That is demeaning and abusive to members of my side of the coalition," he stated. However, the PM could not be drawn into discussing the Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka’s apparent role in aiding or frustrating the operations of the coalition. "That is the President’s problem. I cannot discuss him because he is the president’s guest in this arrangement," said the PM.

THE KILAGUNI TALKS: The PM is livid and the object of his annoyance is President Kibaki whom he accuses of betraying him after signing a power sharing accord 13 months ago. He captured his disappointment with the President in a one-liner: "You have let down the people of this great nation". According to the PM, the situation is worse than most Kenyans can imagine. Prodded by The Standard on Saturday to disclose more, Raila declined stating, "Soon, everything will come to the open."
The PM also spoke about the cat-and-mouse games he has been subjected to in the coalition, the decisions that have been made behind his back, and the ridicule he has suffered as his partner in the coalition openly contradicted him. Raila stuck to the tone that saw him this week dismiss the way the Government was being run as ‘primitive’ and jua kali (unsophisticated) style. Raila spoke to The Standard on Saturday a week after his open falling out with Kibaki at the Kilaguni Serena Safari Lodge, Tsavo. This was where talks of a sub-committee of the Cabinet led by the two principals, collapsed. The two leaders who have not met since flew back empty handed.

DAMAGE CONTROL STRATEGY AT KILAGUNI TALKS: Talking of a damage control strategy, RAILA spoke of how PNU wanted to make a damage control strategy and make an announcement that everything was fine. He says he has issues to discuss in Kilaguni which when they knew, messed of the meeting. "These are the issues I wanted to raise in Kilaguni, but the meeting failed to take off. It was then agreed that we embark on damage control strategy, which included, in part, President Kibaki and myself reading a statement jointly to assure Kenyans all was well. I rejected the move, because all is not well," Raila said, emphatically.

President Kibaki has just said that leaders should work on nation building but it is a priority he solves the mess together with Raila, who by virtue of him being the PM, is the chief superviost of government reforms. Ever since the Kilaguni talks fell apart, the PM has dropped his traditional disposition since he took office that he had no problem with Kibaki, he was sharing power on a 50-50 ratio, the coalition will hold until 2012, and this is not time for divisive politics.