New Strategy? ODM Replaces Minority Leader

Incoming Nairobi County Assembly Minority leader Kennedy Oyugi at City Hall on Thursday, October 25, 2018. /JULIUS OTIENO

ODM on Thursday replaced the Nairobi county assembly Minority leader and whip.

Chairman John Mbadi, in a letter to acting speaker Mwaura Chege, replaced Kileleshwa MCA Elias Otieno with Highrise’s Kennedy Oyugi as Minority leader.

Outspoken Makongeni MCA Peter Imwatok was replaced by Lower Savanna MCA Nicholas Okumu as Minority chief whip.

Mbadi cited the party Constitution and Standing Order 21 (7) and (9) in making the changes.

“The party expects the above changes to take effect immediately. Therefore, this letter overrides the earlier communication from the party,” the letter reads in part.

Image result for ODM Party

The letter is copied to ODM leader Raila Odinga, acting county assembly clerk Nancy Mutai, Otieno, Imwatok, Oyugi, and Okumu.

But Otieno, who was in the office at the time the MCAs served him with the letter, dismissed the reps angling for his ouster as renegades.

“You cannot intimidate me and please don’t try me,” the visibly agitated Otieno said.

Standing Order 21 (7) of the Nairobi County Assembly stipulates that the minority leader may be removed by the party or coalition of parties that designated him or her by two thirds of the votes of all members of the second largest party or coalition.

The changes came barely a week after Mbadi wrote to Otieno and Imwatok to stop reshuffling committees and to reinstate those who had been de-whipped.

Image result for Nairobi County Assembly

Addressing journalists at City Hall, Oyugi and Okumu, flanked by a host of ODM MCAs, accepted the appointments.

“I want to thank the party for having faith in me and I am calling upon the outgoing leaders to come so that we work together,” Oyugi said.

Last week, Imara Daima MCA Kennedy Obuya claimed that 33 of the 56 opposition MCAs had petitioned Raila to remove the leaders.

He accused the duo of high-handedness and intimidation.

“We petitioned our party leader because Otieno is incompetent and cannot represent the aspirations of the party,” Obuya said.

Related image

Last week, Otieno and Imwatok reshuffled the party members in all the over 20 committees of the assembly.

Obuya was removed from the speaker’s panel, powers and privilege and Transport Committees; leaving him only as a member of the ICT committee.

Nominated MCA Mary Arivtsa was also de-whipped from Transport committee which Imwatok said it was due to her constant misconduct in the house.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *