The Kenyan Prime Minister and President are in disagreement over the suspension of cabinet ministers.

The rift in Kenya’s coalition government continues today (17 February) over the reversed suspension of two cabinet ministers accused of siphoning off public funds.

Last week, Prime Minister Raila Odinga, of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), asked Education Minister Sam Ongeri and his agriculture counterpart, Mr William Ruto to step aside for three months to facilitate investigations into the loss of funds in the Free Primary Education (FPE) pot, and the illegal sale of maize, respectively.

However, these suspensions were then quashed on Sunday (14 February) by President Mwai Kibaki, of the Party of National Unity (PNU), stating that Odinga did not have the legal power to suspend ministers.

As a result, the ODM yesterday resolved to boycott all cabinet meetings until the suspensions were upheld by the President. Addressing the media at ODM’s headquarters, Party Secretary-General Anyang Nyong’o accused the President of abetting corruption and impunity in government.

“After consultations, we have resolved to boycott all cabinet meetings until the stalement in the coalition government is resolved. We cannot continue engaging with a partner who totally disregards us,” Nyong’o said in Kiswahili, Kenya’s national language.

Mr Ruto is under the spotlight over illegal sale by his charges of more than three million bags of maize from the Strategic National Grain Reserves, which precipitated an acute food shortage affecting nearly nine million people.

The Prime Minister also wants the Education Minister to take political responsibility for the loss of free primary education funds, which an internal audit report shows was spent on frivolities such as porridge, flowers and workshops that were never held.

The disappearance of nearly US $233 million is expected to adversely affect school enrolment, with an estimated three million beneficiaries of the funds set to drop out of school.

Kenyan Attorney General Amos Wako warned yesterday that the government may collapse unless the parties resolve the dispute – but there remains uncertainty over the authority that the Prime Minister actually has. However, on an official visit to Japan, PM Odinga told reporters in Tokyo today that he expects the dispute to be resolved.

“Disagreements will arise in coalition governments but that doesn’t mean the coalition will collapse,” he said. “I’m confident we will find a solution[through negotiations].”

After hitting an eight month-low on Tuesday as a result of the rift, Kenya’s shilling gained as much as 1.1% to 76.52 per dollar in Nairobi today after Odinga’s remarks.

The two rivals formed a coalition to end riots following the 2007 election, where around 1,300 people died in the violence and tens of thousands were displaced.

Do you think Raila Odinga was right to suspend the ministers? Let us know.