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Tempers flare as Parliament debates Mt Elgon skirmishes
THE STANDARD
By Parliament Team
Thursday April 5, 2007
Hostility, jeers and name-calling marked debate on the Mt Elgon clashes in Parliament on Wednesday.
And Assistant minister named a ‘warlord’ and four MPs who he alleged were fuelling the violence.
Tempers flared barely half an hour as both sides traded accusations. This prompted House Speaker, Mr Francis ole Kaparo, to return to the chamber and take over from his deputy, Mr David Musila.
Kaparo read the riot act and threatened to, in future, deny an Adjournment Motion if members continued squaring it out on an issue of national importance. "The Chair has given you an opportunity. Please use it well. I hope you will begin to seek solutions and not making it worse," he said.
School children who packed the public gallery watched the proceedings bewildered.
The House had interrupted normal business at 10.30am to discuss the clashes following a request by the chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Security, Mr Ramadhan Kajembe.
Kajembe accused the Government of abdicating its duty to protect its citizens and their property.
"All warlords in this area should be identified, arrested and brought to book," he said.
He urged the Government to stop the land allocations to give dialogue a chance. The Changamwe MP also demanded "adequate compensation" to the victims. "We don’t want to see more tribal clashes as elections near," he added.
Residents opposed to allocations at Chebyuk settlement scheme formed a rag-tag army, Sabaot Land Defence Force.
Accusations
Trouble started in when area MP, Mr John Serut, claimed that four MPs and a "warlord" were fanning the clashes.
On a Point of Order, Baringo Central MP, Mr Gideon Moi, asked Serut to substantiate his claims. Eldoret North MP, Mr William Ruto, challenged him to name the individuals.
It was then that Serut named Ruto, Mr Musa Sirma, Mrs Linah Kilimo, and Mr Franklin Bett as those behind the clashes. He further named a Mr Fred Kapondi as the warlord.
Bergut MP, Mr Charles Keter, questioned whether it was proper to name a person who could not defend himself in the House, but this saw him join Serut’s list of "conspirators".
Serut claimed Keter had facilitated the release of Fred by bond. He said he had evidence that Ruto had told the people in Mt Elgon to reject the land allocated and "wait for an ODM-Kenya government that would allocate the forest".
But Ruto dismissed the claim: "Today, 150 people have lost their lives. I do not know what the Internal Security minister (Mr John Michuki) is doing. His ministry has sent security forces to burn houses, churches and property."
"Those are lies. Lies. Lies," came Michuki’s reply.
After Kaparo’s intervention, Serut withdrew his remarks and apologised.
Keiyo South MP, Mr Nicholas Biwott, condemned the violence and asked the Government to act before things get out of hand.
He called for dialogueo to resolve the "historical" crisis, saying violence begets violence. "The first and second phases of the resettlement was done without any problem, why now?" he asked. Shadow Security minister, Mr Joseph Nkaissery, said order should be restored before dealing with the causes of the skirmishes.
The Kajiado Central MP accused the Government of inaction because Serut serves in it.
"The Government is in a position to stop the problem, but is not keen," he said.
Tinderet MP, Mr Henry Kosgey, said those resisting should be listened to, not branded criminals. Kosgey dismissed curfews, saying Michuki has a colonial mindset.
Report by Alex Ndegwa, Francis Openda and Murigi Macharia
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