Political Heatwave: Azimio’s Fulfillment of Speaker Wetang’ula’s Conditions Spells Trouble for Sabina Chege
Speaker Moses Wetang’ula will decide Sabina Chege’s fate as National Assembly Deputy Minority Whip when the House resumes sittings the following week.
Wetang’ula halted the de-whipping of Chege last month because the Azimio la Umoja one Kenya Coalition had not provided a replacement as required by the House Standing Orders (SO).
Tuesday, following the Azimio Parliamentary Group (PG), the party selected Mark Mwenje, an MP from Embakasi West, to replace Sabina.
Since switching her allegiance to the Kenya Kwanza administration and leading the faction that sought to overthrow the Jubilee Party (JP) leadership, she has been named acting Party Leader in place of Uhuru Kenyatta.
The focus is now on Wetanegula, as his 30-day window for Sabina has expired.
“We acknowledge that Hon. Mwenje is a dedicated, consistent, energetic, and young fighter who has demonstrated a willingness to defend the people and the party. According to the coalition of Azimio’s resolution, “We do not doubt that he will be up to the task.”
The appointment of the replacement Deputy Minority Whip satisfies one of Wetang’ula’s conditions for the coalition.
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This initiates an official communication from Mr. Wetang’ula, who last month refused to allow Azimio to make changes to its leadership due to the absence of Ms. Chege’s replacement.
Mr. Wetang’ula noted that once a parliamentary party has designated a Whip or a Deputy Whip, the only change it may subsequently make about the two positions is a replacement of the designated Whip or Deputy Whip and not removal without replacement.
Just before the National Assembly’s long recess, Mr. Wetang’ula gave Azimio thirty days to put its house in order and send him one communication regarding the changes it intends to make to its House leadership.
Mr. Wetang’ula ruled, “I hereby grant the Minority Party 30 days from today to convey the appropriate communication regarding the replacement of its Deputy Minority Whip if it so chooses.”
Mr. Mwenje is serving his first term on the Jubilee Party ticket, and his selection as Azimio’s preferred candidate is likely to silence the faction within the Jubilee Party that supports the government and had argued that Azimio intends to deny the party the slot.
While opposing the removal of Ms. Chege, some Jubilee lawmakers affiliated with the faction of EALA MP Kanini Kega insisted that they will not allow the party to lose the position.
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NDC They argued that they had been denied a position in the influential Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC), even though their numbers made them a parliamentary power.
The Azimio coalition has maintained that it will not permit the Kenya Kwanza administration to interfere with its affiliated parties.
“We reaffirm that Azimio will do everything possible to defend affiliate parties against heinous attacks. The coalition stated, “We will do whatever it takes to preserve the multiparty democracy for which so many Kenyans have sacrificed their lives.”
The coalition led by Raila Odinga stated that Kenya Kwanza has already indicated its willingness to commit in writing to respect the Political Parties Tribunal’s ruling confirming Jubilee Party leadership.
The tribunal reinstated Jeremiah Kioni (General Secretary), David Murathe (vice-chairman), and Kagwe Gichohi (national treasurer) last week.
“Pending the hearing and determination of the application (filed by Kioni) between the parties, interim conservatory orders are hereby issued staying the decision delivered by the Jubilee Party National Disciplinary Committee on May 10, 2023, to expel Murathe, Kioni, and Gichohi from the leadership of the party,” the tribunal ruled.
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The tribunal also prohibited the registrar of political parties, Anne Nderitu, from acting on any communication purporting to expel Mr. Kioni, Mr. Murathe, and Mr. Gichohi from the Jubilee Party. This means that the speaker cannot recognize any communication from the Kanini Kega-led faction, which was one of the reasons he refused to accept the changes requested by Azimio last month.
Mr. Wetangula stated in his 4 May ruling that he has received so many letters from various factions of the party that he cannot rule on any of them.
In the Senate, Speaker Amason Kingi’s efforts to prevent the removal of Senator Fatuma Dullo as Minority Whip was met with opposition from Azimio senators who halted House business.
Kingi yielded to pressure and eventually communicated the changes, naming Narok Senator Ole Kina as the Minority Whip, with his counterpart from Nairobi, Edwin Sifuna, serving as his deputy.
Political Heatwave: Azimio’s Fulfillment of Speaker Wetang’ula’s Conditions Spells Trouble for Sabina Chege
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