The Senate Majority Whip Irungu Kang’ata has now threatened to take action against Jubilee Senators who on Tuesday defied the party’s stand on the countries revenue sharing formula but supported the interest of the people who voted them in office.
The motion brought in by Kang’ata wants to change the Senate Finance Committee report to have the application of the new formula forwarded to 2022 was dropped on the Senate floor after 25 senators voted against it.
Only twenty-two senators supported the motion.
According to Kang’ata, the postponement of the motion would be a win-win situation for all the senators.
A few minutes after the motion was adjourned, the Majority Whip said he will soon punish those who shot down his motion.
“There were some senators who are in positions of leadership in the party who decided on their motion to go against the official position of the government. We expect some remedial action to be taken against them,” he said.
Speaking during an interview on Citizen TV, Kang’ata said once a senator who is in a leadership position votes against the government’s position, he or she must expect some sanctions.
“I do not doubt that that very soon we shall be cracking the whip of the party against those who went against the official government business that was before the House,” Kang’ata said.
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja moved a motion on the formula he had proposed to counter the disputed one that was brought in by the House Finance and Budget Committee.
However, the debate was not made to a conclusion after Deputy Speaker Margaret Kamar adjourned the sitting before members could take a vote on the motion.
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Speaker Ken Lusaka is now expected to gazette a special sitting of the members to conclude the debate and vote
Should the speaker fail to gazette the sitting then the debate will come to the floor of the House next Tuesday.
Some of the Jubilee Senators who are likely to be punished by the party include Fatuma Dullo (Isiolo), Anwar Loitiptip (Lamu), Johnson Sakaja (Nairobi) and former Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet).
Most of the Senators across the political parties appeared to have disregarded their party leaders directive and plotted major amendments to the counties’ revenue sharing formula in a day of heightened political drama.
