Yesterday, Ledama Ole Kina, the Narok Senator gave his two cents on an alleged plot to remove Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen as Majority Leader in the Senate.
Reports had claimed that Kenya African National Union (KANU) leader Gideon Moi was to be endorsed as the new Majority Leader at a Parliamentary Group meeting for Senators to be held at State House, Nairobi on Monday, May 11.
News of the PG came after it was confirmed by Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju and Vice-Chairman David Murathe that the party had entered into a post-election coalition agreement deposited at the Registrar of Political Parties on May 4.
Ole Kina, engaged in his own battles in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) after he was de-whipped following his election to chair the Senate watchdog committee, warned Uhuru against the alleged plan as he explained his belief that such a plot would fail.
Questioned by a local news site on whether he would be attending the meeting and the alleged plot, Murkomen had on Sunday, May 10, stated: “Let’s wait for tomorrow.”
Interviewed by Ann Kiguta on K24 for her show Punchline, Kina maintained that the situations in ODM and Jubilee was part of a bigger battle for democracy in the country.
“I think we’re trying things that we cannot achieve. I’m yet to see how the President is going to succeed in changing the house leadership. When we changed leadership on the minority side, we had to collect signatures, we had to get the majority, it had to go to the House Business and later to the floor of the house as a motion.
“I’m waiting to see that. I’m actually surprised because it is more like a tendency of the oligarchies when they want to have a grip on the country. I think democracy is on trial, and if I were the President I wouldn’t.
“In fact, I would advice the President to apply the 80-20 rule. Take the 20% of people not agreeing with you and ask yourself why? At times you have to view the world in the eyes of your critics so that you know where to go,” he stated.
He also questioned whether Uhuru would be able to marshal the numbers in Parliament, noting that KANU had less than five Senators.
“What the President is attempting to do, because some of us hear that Gideon Moi will become the Majority Leader and Johnson Sakaja the whip. I’m yet to see that, I would advise the President not to attempt.”
“Let’s be very realistic, we have three members of KANU in the Senate, the KANU Chairperson Gideon Moi who is very seldom in the house, we have Poghisio and Nominated Senator Abshiro Halake.
“Those are three members. If you are trying to divide a coalition and you say you have those three, and you will get the ones who are loyal on your side, it’s gonna be very difficult to marshal numbers.
“If the motion is not passed on the floor of the house, it’s going to be an embarrassment. It’s going to be a rotten egg on the face of the President,” he stated.
Ledama went on to assert that he was still loyal to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) and its leader Raila Odinga but was being fought over his strong stances on various issues.
