ODM an empty drum, says Moi
Former President Daniel Moi, Agriculture Minister Kipruto Kirwa, Trade and Industry Minister Mukhisa Kituyi and other mourners follow proceedings during the burial of the late Karoli Lwanga Muliro son of the late Masinde Muliro in Sibanga, Cherangany yesterday.
Retired President Moi yesterday shared a platform with two Cabinet ministers and took another swipe at the Orange Democratic Movement, describing it as an empty drum.
In the presence of Mr Kipruto Kirwa of Agriculture and Trade's Dr Mukhisa Kituyi, he said: "The Orange Democratic Movement is just an empty drum which will continue making noise, but achieve nothing at the end.''
He also dismissed Eldoret North MP William Ruto's presidential ambitions.
Former President Daniel Moi, Agriculture Minister Kipruto Kirwa, Trade and Industry Minister Mukhisa Kituyi and other mourners follow proceedings during the burial of the late Karoli Lwanga Muliro son of the late Masinde Muliro in Sibanga, Cherangany yesterday.
ODM, he said, was a grouping of political leaders out to confuse Kenyans as they pursue personal interests. He said they would fail at the end.
Cherangany backyard
As the former head of state shared a platform with Mr Kirwa for the first time since they parted political ways before the 2002 General Election, he urged political parties to pursue national interests.
He told Kalenjins to engage in what he called politics of national integration, and warned that tribal groupings would not achieve anything.
Mr Moi and the two ministers were speaking in Mr Kirwa's Cherangany backyard during the burial of Mr Karoli Muliro, a son of one of the doyens of opposition politics, Mr Masinde Muliro.
Also at the funeral were Ford Kenya MPs Davies Nakitare (Saboti), Sylvester Wakoli (Bumula) and Wafula Wamunyinyi (Kanduyi) as well as Nzoia Sugar Company chairman Burudi Nabwera.
Since Mr Ruto declared his intention to vie for the presidency on a Kanu ticket, Mr Moi has made the Kanu secretary-general the target of attacks, saying that he is misleading Kalenjins.
National integration
Mr Ruto has hit back with an almost equal force and said Mr Moi's time in politics is gone.
The former president revisited his pet subject yesterday, saying that it was unfortunate that people he claimed to have taught politics were now competing with him. "I only retired from the presidency and not active politics," he said.
Mr Kirwa said politics of national integration was the only way Kenyans would stay together, and that he would participate in discussions between Kalenjins and Luhyas only if the agenda was for the national good.
"I'm not going to allow myself to engage in tribal politics which my constituents do not subscribe to," he said.
Dr Kituyi, Mr Nakitare, Mr Wakoli and Mr Wamunyinyi asked Mr Moi and Mr Kirwa to unite the two communities in readiness for next year's elections.
