NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 13 – A showdown is expected in the National Assembly next week on Tuesday over the attempted removal of Deputy Minority Whip Sabina Chege after the Azimio La Umoja coalition accused Speaker Moses Wetangula of taking sides on the matter.
Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi raised issues with Wetangula failing to give them a definite timeline on when he will communicate the removal of Chege before the House giving him until Tuesday to announce the changes.
He stated that Chege was removed as a deputy minority whip following a resolution made during a parliamentary group in Machakos County.
“If we don’t get the communication being given to the house on Tuesday then it will not be business as usual in this house. We have restrained ourselves for more than six months but we are being subjected to endless provocations,”
“Todays provocation is going to be the stroke that broke the camel’s back,” Wandayi said.
Wandayi alluded that Speaker Wetangula has taken sides on the matter insisting that no forces will be allowed to stifle the operations of the minority coalition in the August House.
He noted that the Speaker had fell off his mandate but taking sides in the coalitions debates instead of remaining a neutral arbiter on the matter.
“We are reading mischief on the part of the Speaker of the National Assembly, we are beginning to see that he is starting to listen to the third parties, to forces outside the house and immersing himself in politics of coalitions,” he said.
The Azimio Coalition has insisted that there was no need for a debate on the matter as the minority coalition cannot be lectured on decision they make as a coalition.
“Which just expected him to communicate but he when he attempted to do so, he veered off. He took a tangent and instead of communicating he brought in some extraneous issues about letters by some members of Jubilee,” Wandayi stated.
A heated debate ensued when Speaker Wetangula communicated the changes attempting to remove Chege at the leadership slot which attracts hefty perks.
While defending herself, Chege challenged her removal from the post asking the Speaker to shelve making the ruling on the changes to allow more time for consensus reaching.
“Mr Speaker the changes were made outside the constitution and the standing orders as I was not involved in arriving to the communication,” she stated.
“The due process was not followed, this is more of harassment and intimidation as no Parliamentary group meeting was held over the matter,” she said.
The Nominated MP indicated that Jubilee Party had initiated a process of detaching Jubilee Party from the minority coalition pushing for the former ruling party to be recognized as parliamentary party.
“We deserve to have our position; we can’t deserve to be ignored when we are second largest party in Azimio with 28 members. We beg for more time so that we can table deliberations that will follow. This communication is null and void,” Chege stated.
Wandayi poured cold water on the argument saying that Jubilee Party relinquished their rights to be a parliamentary party having being considered as part of the minority coalition.
“When you choose to be part of a minority or majority party you relinquish your rights to be a parliamentary party. I want you Mr Speaker to uphold the dignity of this house and announce the removal of Sabina,” he said before the house.
“I have not communicated the replacement of Sabina Chege therefore she doesn’t know whether the replacement will be from Jubilee or not. So it would be premature to claim that Jubilee Party is being punished,” Wandayi added.
Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah opposed the move of Chege claiming that Azimio La Umoja contravened the Constitutional rights and the standing orders hence the changes are null and void.
“It behoves the Azimio La Umoja Coalition to prove to this house that Sabina Chege was accorded fair process prior to her removal.The minority should prove that a fair process has been effected,”Ichung’wah said.
“They were neither given an opportunity to be heard or even attended the purpoted meeting where the decision was made,” he added.
Eldas MP Adan Keynan who doubles as Jubilee Party Parliamentary Group Secretary General vehemently stated that they will move to amend standing orders to have Jubilee Party recognized as a parliamentary party.
“We will not let Wandayi to step on our rights. We will not be blackmailed and intimidated. We will protect our rights,” Keynan stated.
Budalangi MP Raphael Wanjala supported the move for the removal of Chege as the minority whip having shown dalliance to Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
“Even a woman in your house can’t purport to stay put having denied you conjugal rights and is running around with other men outside there,” Wanjala said.
