Abdikadir picked to chair team as ODM snubs poll

Mr Abdikadir also chairs the Legal Affairs and Justice Committee and ODM MPs had argued that he should not be allowed to chair two important committees. Photo/FILE


Posted Wednesday, October 6 2010 at 21:34

Mandera Central MP Mohammed Abdikadir was on Wednesday night elected to chair the powerful committee to oversee the implementation of the new Constitution.

His deputy will be ODM nominated MP Millie Odhiambo, who was elected in absentia as MPs from the party had boycotted the meeting called to resolve a dispute that arose earlier in the day.

Mr Abdikadir said on Wednesday evening they would hold a meeting on Thursday to build consensus among the team.

But ODM Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo later said he instructed the party’s members on the implementation committee not to attend the meeting attended by PNU members because of a legality.

“Mr Abdikadir and Ms Odhiambo are the chair and vice-chair of the Legal Affairs Committee and they cannot be chair and the vice-chair of the Implementation Oversight Committee,” he said.

Mr Midiwo said all the Bills on the new constitution would be taken to the House by the Implementation Committee before they are handed over to the Legal Affairs Committee.

National Assembly Speaker Kenneth Marende had attended Wednesday night’s meeting at County Hall to have the MPs resolve their differences.

An MP who attended, but cannot be named here as he is not allowed to speak to the press, said Mr Marende had asked the team to avoid creating the wrong impression by fighting barely hours after approval by the House.

The MPs had settled in at 6.30pm and waited for half an hour when they realised their ODM counterparts were not in. The election process began at 7pm, said the MP, with about 13 members present.

Under the Standing Orders, at least three members of a committee make a quorum to transact business.

Mr Abdikadir also chairs the Legal Affairs and Justice Committee and ODM MPs had argued that he should not be allowed to chair two important committees.

He also chaired the Parliamentary Select Committee on Constitution Review. It is understood he had agreed to relinquish his position on the Legal Affairs committee for the oversight one.

An ODM MP told the Nation the party felt it had ceded too much to its coalition partner, PNU, by agreeing to have Mr Abdikadir chair the PSC.

ODM MPs sought to have the meeting postponed to Thursday because some of their members were absent. ODM’s Joyce Laboso (Sotik), Sophia Abdi (nominated) and Danson Mwazo (Voi) were absent as was Ms Cecily Mbarire (Runyenjes, PNU).

Committee member John Mbadi (Gwassi, ODM), confirmed that legislators were divided along party lines on who is to chair the committee.

“We needed only one more day to consult on the matter. We should not feel like we are being pushed to elect one person as the chair,” he said.