Early this week the National Assembly Minority Whip and Suba East MP, Junet Mohammed wrote to Speaker Justin Muturi communicating that ODM intends to kick out 16 members of NASA affiliate parties from parliamentary committees.
Their decision seem to have come as a move to discourage rebellion within the coalition.
Amani National Congress party on Thursday obtained orders from the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal over the removal of Nasa affiliated MPs from the parliamentary committees.
Member of Parliament for Lugari Ayub Savula, who is also the parliamentary group chairman for ANC, opposed the move stating that it was against parliament’s protocol.
Ford Kenya Party leader Moses Wentagula through a tweet supported the claims by ANC and stated that his party will be enjoined in the case.
Wetang’ula cited that ODM Party was behaving like an overfed child who thought it was end to hunger and set the granary on fire.
Odm behaving like an overfed child who thought it was end to hunger and set the granary on fire. Removal of Sen Were of Anc as D/whip dishonest, distasteful, dictatorial and typical of the Odm fascists. Ford kenya will be enjoined in the Anc case
— Sen.Moses Wetang’ula (@Wetangulam) October 12, 2018
According to Savula, standing orders mandate that a member should be given a hearing before a lawmaker is removed from a committee and the reasons duly communicated to the Speaker.
“The proposal will not stand. We have already filed a case in court and obtained orders. Those members are still validly in their committee,” stated Savula.
Minority leader John Mbadi however disagreed with his NASA counterpart and affirmed that the changes were effected after the correct process had been followed.
“The motion has gone through the processes and been approved procedurally. What ANC MPs are talking about is discharge of members from a committee.
“We were just reorganizing the committees and none of those members have been left without a committee,” remarked Mbadi.
Mbadi was supported by Majority Leader Aden Duale who explained that the changes were made to accommodate the members who did not belong to any committee.
“Due process was followed while coming up with this motion which is meant to harmonise the committees. Edith Nyenze (MP for Kitui West), Asha Hussein (MP for Mombasa) and Charles Kamuren (MP for Baringo South) did not have a committee,” stated Duale.