NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 12 – Prime Minister Raila Odinga on Saturday dismissed talk that the coalition government may not survive its full term due to persistent wrangles among the partners.
He dismissed those threatening to withdraw from the coalition arrangement and told Kenyans to ignore such sentiments \’since such a decision could only be made by the two principals who were the chief signatories to the national accord.\’
"Be rest assured that the coalition will weather through the current political storm and live the full term contrary to insinuations from some political quarters that one partner has threatened to prematurely pull out of the arrangement" Mr Odinga said.
He assured Kenyans that the coalition will wade through the political storm that threatened her with eminent collapse arguing that the relation between the two principal partners remained cordial.
The premier who was touring development projects in Meru and Tharaka Nithi counties cautioned Kenyans to be wary of emerging political alliances whose bonding factor he claimed was anchored on selfish ethnic interest.
He said such political groupings were mooted out of the desire by some self centred leaders to propagate their tribal agendas at the expense of other communities.
"Some of these leaders have joined hands to perpetuated divisive politics and one wonders what they expect the communities they have alienated to do. Politics must be pegged on ideals and principles and not tribal arrangements," the premier said.
He said the Orange Democratic Movement {ODM} Party remained the most popular party in the country because its leadership upheld values and virtues that could solidify the fragile national fabrics and spur the country to greater heights of prosperity.
Mr Odinga told ODM supporters when he presided over the opening of branch offices in Meru and Mukinduri towns that all the 42 communities in the country should be treated with dignity irrespective of their population.
He made several roadside addresses in Chuka, Nkubu, Kariene and Chogoria and Meru town before he commissioned the phase one of the Meru- Mikinduri- Maua road and later concluded his tour with a rally at Mikinduri primary school grounds.
The premier who was accompanied by several members of the cabinet expressed fears that the constitutional dispensation the country realized recently will eventually weed out tribal and regional based political parties.
He said the devolved system under the county government would ensure equity in distribution of resources and asked Kenyans to push for the implementation of the constitution which was promulgated last year.
Mr Odinga directed roads Minister Franklin Bett to fast track the rehabilitation of road network in Chuka, Nkubu and parts of Meru town to promote trade in the region.
Among those present were cabinet Ministers Fred Gumo, Joseph Nyaga, James Orengo, Wycliff Oparanya and Assistant Minister Alfred Khangati.
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