The prospect of another showdown in the House between the Party of National Unity and Orange Democratic Movement loomed large yesterday with Orange MPs rallying behind Ruto amid whispers in the party his tribulations were a plot by the National Security Intelligence Service (NSIS) to destabilise it. The seriousness ODM attaches to the claim was discernible from the fact Health Minister Anyang' Nyong'o accused the intelligence of allegedly fuelling confusion in the coalition by setting the Executive against the Legislature.
He further claimed NSIS was also meddling with the implementation of Agenda 4 as spelt out by the Serena mediation team.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga neither supported nor dismissed the claims against NSIS. Instead, he assured ODM supporters his party was in a 50-50 power-sharing arrangement with President Kibaki's PNU.
A section of ODM leadership is also reported to be dismayed that although Ruto is on the fryer, the same cannot be said of Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi, one of whose parastatals lost Sh7.6 billion in the Triton oil saga.
Even as graft charges swirl around the minister over the disposal of the strategic grain reserve, he put up a symbolic show yesterday by hosting Kalenjin grassroots leaders in his Eldoret home. Whereas the agenda must have been easing the pressure piling on Ruto to resign, the discussions were secret since the Press was kept out.
Though held at his home, Ruto was in the ODM team that attended the burial of Pamela Mboya in Mbita, yesterday. Ruto said those who stole the 2007 presidential election must face the same sword of justice as those suspected to have fanned post-election violence. He said one led to the other.
Public Accounts Committee Chairman Bonny Khalwale, who linked Ruto to the maize scandal, pushed him to the uncomfortable corner by tabling documents in Parliament.
Although there was no financial loss to National Cereals and Produce Board, the nation is facing a serious grain shortage, after the strategic reserve was sold to private firms.
Ruto's predicament reignites friction between him and Raila, especially over who between Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi and the Agriculture Minister should wield more clout. Following persistent calls for his resignation to pave way for investigation  which the minister has rebuffed  focus now turns to the PM.
According to the National Reconciliation and Peace Accord the President can only fire or suspend a minister from ODM following a written go-ahead from the party leader. Even if he were to be replaced, it would still be the PM who will make the choice.
Vicious Power Battles
Will Raila open up wounds that were beginning to heal by asking his second deputy to step aside? The two politicians are just smarting from quiet but vicious power battles that led to a declaration of ceasefire and elevation of Ruto to share the party's second most powerful post in ODM, with Mudavadi.
Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Martha Karua, wants the President and PM to suspend and investigate Ruto and Kiraitu.
"In the event a minister is involved in graft or does not take political responsibility, the President and Prime Minister, will have to shoulder the load," she observed. She was addressing the just concluded Kenya We Want' conference in Nairobi, on Friday. The Standard on Sunday established that the politics around the scam are deeply rooted and Ruto is only but the face of the raging war. The minister dismissed the graft claims as "sheer politics": "It is not about the fight against corruption; it is political intrigue. Corruption is not fought that way. It is fought with facts."
Ruto points an accusing finger at Khalwale claiming the MP's spirited campaign against him is politically motivated.
"It is true that my action has a political motive and not a personal one. Why? Because it involves a politician who has created a network of politicians to stand in his defence and because the issue at hand requires a political solution since many have lost faith in our justice system," concedes the Ikolomani MP.
The MP alleges that Ruto has taken advantage of "parliamentary greenhorns (first-term MPs) to shield him against graft-related attacks".
But Konoin MP Julius Kones protests that it is this very perception that is being used by some to widen the rift between Raila and Ruto.
Then, there was hyped opposition by members of the Kalenjin community over the proposed relocation from the Mau Forest and spirited calls for Ruto's appointment as deputy party leader. There are fears, too, that the regrouping of the Kones-led team of youthful politicians pushing for the grand opposition in the Tenth Parliament, may open up another front in the Raila-Ruto tussle.
The revival of the team's activities has stirred up competition for the position of Leader of Official Opposition. Ruto, who enjoys political support from proponents of the move, is perceived to have endorsed it.
Raila, on the other hand, was opposed to the group's move and has not changed this position. Kones was recently appointed convener of the group.
The recently modified Standing Orders stipulate that a backbench caucus of at least 30 members can equally be constituted to serve as Official Opposition.
However, the catch here  and one that is bound to ignite hostilities between MPs allied to Ruto and the PM  is that their respective party leader, through a letter to the Speaker, must release them to be members.- The Standard