ODM rejects election of Abdikadir to lead team

ODM has rejected the election of Mr Mohammed Abdikadir (Mandera Central, PNU) as the chairman of the Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee.

The party’s Millie Odhiambo (nominated) has also rejected her election as the vice chairperson until the dispute is resolved.

The party has lodged a complaint with Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim, who as the chairman of Parliament’s Liaison Committee holds the key to unlocking deadlocks within committees.

Mr Maalim is the Lagdera MP and comes from the ODM party. The decision was reached on Thursday morning when 12 ODM MPs –all members of the Oversight Committee—met their chief whip, Mr Jakoyo Midiwo, to chart the way forward.

But the MPs agreed to attend Friday’s meeting, the first under Mr Abdikadir’s chairmanship.

“We will attend the meeting under chairmanship of Mr Abdikadir but we will make our grievances known,’’ said Gwasi MP John Mbadi on Thursday.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Kenneth Marende on Thursday flexed his muscles and thwarted attempts by the backbench to stop the First Reading –formal introduction to Parliament – of a Bill setting up the team to spearhead the implementation process for the new Constitution.

The Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution Bill, 2010, was temporarily suspended as MPs Boni Khalwale (Ikolomani, New Ford Kenya), Isaac Ruto (Chepalungu, ODM) and Mbadi questioned the procedure of tabling the Bill.

The MPs said it was not proper for the Justice Minister, Mr Mutula Kilonzo, to introduce the Bill, because the law gave that mandate to the Attorney General Amos Wako.

Mr Marende said the Bill was “properly before the House”. “Without this Bill, there’s no provision for the appointment of members of the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution,” the Speaker said.

“I find it as the Speaker of this Legislature and not as a judge of the Supreme Court, that this Bill be read.”