A case of selective amnesia!, or is it see no evil, hear no evil, as far as Raila is concerned!
Let's deal with facts and keep intuitions and other heart attachments at bay.
I actually don’t see what the hullabaloo is all about.
Kibaki never told any body that he would be going to Mau to plant trees.
Read that Raila and co. cannot set the agenda for the President, and if/when they attempt to, then they risk suffering the embarrassment they are at the moment.
I do not for one second think that Kibaki is working at cross purpose with the Mau conservation project.
However,I guess he wants to steer clear of Raila’s unnecessary bravado and ‘showbiz’, about the whole matter. Note the difference btn the two men’s modus operandi, - while Raila plays to the gallery, Kibaki gets the job done quietly.
By the way,if Kibaki stopped supporting Mau conservation, the squatters would just walk back and there is little that Raila would do about it, as it takes the police to get them out, and Raila cant order any police.
Kibaki got these same squatters out in 2005, Raila championed their continued stay in the forest!!!!!!!
Then, due to heightened political temperatures, Kibaki backed off, which prompted more squatters to invade the forest.
At that time the destruction of the forest was much less compared to today.
If Raila had not played politics, Mau would be safe and intact today.
In our myopia, today we are crediting the same politician with saving the Mau!
What an irony!
The current effort was started by Kibaki, who later directed Raila to coordinate the matter as it falls across the ministries of Forestry and Environment.
Remember the time Michuki overflew the the Mau to access the destruction, Raila was out of the scene.
In my humble view, if Kibaki and Raila were to lay their ‘credentials’ about the Mau on the table, Kibaki would beat Raila hands down.
When Moi was dishing out the forest land to politically connected fellows, Raila was his Minister and Kanu’s secretary General.
There is no record of him protesting at all, which ostensibly points to an approval.
In any case anything a Govt does, all serving ministers take collective responsibility.
Kibaki then was in opposition and opposed the excision.
When Kibaki got to power, within two years he evicted the squatters but Raila defeated the cause by introducing politics of incitement.
Again, this time the squatters only moved out when the armed police came in to evict them upon the expiry of the deadline given.
These police were acting at the behest of Kibaki and NOT Raila.
Again I dare say that if the squatters got wind that Kibaki was no longer interested in moving them out, they would gladly walk back and show Raila the middle finger.
Let the Mau be saved, but let those who want to make political capital out of it like Raila not be facilitated to do so.
The bigger job is to get the occupiers out. Trees can and should be planted by hired ordinary wananchi.
Govt VIPs would only plant a seed-ling each for showbiz – at great cost- unnecessary if you ask me.
Kibaki continue saving the Mau.
Bravo
Isuni yilu yi maa me muyo - ni Mbisuu