Over the weekend, the newly appointed National Assembly Majority Leader, Amos Kimunya began his first assignment in Parliament – sharing of Jubilee purge spoils among his party and its newly fond allies.
Sources revealed details of a chaotic select committee meeting presided by the majority leader, where he refused to allow any changes to the committee membership list despite pleas from both the majority and minority parties.
Kimunya who is barely three weeks in the office was chairing his first Committee on Selection to draft changes to committees to replace the ousted Ruto’s allies.
Sources say that the changes in the committees were also meant to ensure President Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga’s Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) and Handshake agenda did not land on hostile committee members once the issues are brought on the floor of the House.
Minority Leader John Mbadi said the meeting was meant to make changes to the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) and the Committee on Delegated Legislation that was previously led by Deputy President’s allies. The two teams are vital to passing the BBI report.
The other committee that the Pro-Handshake Legislatures want to change is the Budget and Appropriations Committee, which was chaired by Ruto’s ally, Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichungwa. The MPs want to replace Inchung’wah with one of their own who would be in support of the allocation of funds for the anticipated referendum.
“Nasa did very well in the reconstitution of their committees. In JLAC, for example, they had brought their very best lawyers in the House – Otiende Amolo, Kaluma (Peter), and Anthony Oluoch – because they know this is the committee that will majorly handle BBI,” said Kieleweke-allied MP who attended the meeting.
“But when it came to us, we rewarded some Ruto allies, some of who have strongly opposed the BBI like (Manyatta MP) Muchiri Nyaga and even KJ (Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie). It is like Kimunya just wanted to place hurdles on the passage.”
The Amos Kimunya is accused of shooting down proposals that the committees must be established towards supporting the BBI and the handshake agenda.
Sources say Kimunya at one point told a member that they were not there “to articulate and discuss BBI and the Handshake, or even advance the positions taken by Jubilee Party, but to endorse the list”.
The Kipipiri Mp has however dismissed the claim, saying the majority of those opposed to the list are complaining since the expected to be handed positions in particular committees as rewards for supporting the Handshake between the President and Raila Odinga.
“We were not there to play factional politics. Some people have this feeling of entitlement. They perceive themselves to have been more active in defense of their factions and thought we were reconstituting the committees to kick out members of the other faction. Sorry, I am not going to deny any MP their constitutional right of oversight,” said Kimunya.
According to Kimunya, those complaining had their eyes set on particular positions od some committees and are now disgruntled after failing to take the positions. Kimunya said the Jubilee Party would not cede grounds on the membership and it was the minority that ought to consult over the list. He added that in Jubilee they would only reconsider areas where some members are in more committees that the rest.
Coming to Kimunya’s defense Jubilee Party Vice David Murathe fired the first salvo urging the ODM would quit the handshake if not satisfied with the leadership of President Uhuru, a move many views as the beginning of the end of the handshake.
According to Murathe both, his lieutenants and the Opposition were being unrealistic in the reconstitution of the committees.
He added that the list tabled by Kimunya had the blessings of President Kenyatta and insisted that despite it being withdrawn, nothing will change in it.
- Suspect arrested with a stolen G3 riffle
- Akothee almost dying for a sponsor,Anita Nderu Unapologetic and Other Entertainment News
- William Ruto “kicked in the face” by Uhuru Kenyatta once again!
- Akothee Comes To The Rescue Of A Homeless Comedian
“There is no room for any further consultations on the list. The president knows the competencies of each of these people and has distributed the positions according to his belief on the capacity of each MP. Besides you cannot dictate which committee you want to serve in,” Murathe said.
Murathe fire a warning to those complaining to either take up the positions given to them or ship out. Murathe to the dissatisfied MPs to drop their sense of entitlement and admit they even those allied to the Deputy President had a right to serve in the committees.
On the issue that some of the de-whipped Ruto’s allies being given soft landing by being given membership to powerful committees, the Jubilee Vice-Chair said it was the right of the legislators to be granted committee works.
