Marende blocks ODM's attempt to lock out renegade MPs from committee

Written By:Graham Kirwa,    Posted: Tue, May 03, 2011

Speaker Kenneth Marende dismissed claims that he favoured the ODM party

The ODM party on Tuesday suffered a technical set back in its bid to control the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee after speaker Kenneth Marende locked out Sotik MP Joyce Laboso and her Gwasi counterpart John Mbadi from participating in the affairs of the embattled committee.   

The two who had been picked by the party to replace renegade members Isaac Ruto and Sophia Abdi will not be in a meeting that Marende has ordered convened on Thursday to try and resolve the wrangles in the committee.

Marende has ordered the clerk of the national assembly to convene a closed door meeting of the committee members chosen by the House in 2009 and a resolution on the wrangles be reached and a report forwarded to the liaison committee on the way forward.

The speaker said he has received a letter from eight members of the committee expressing their lack of confidence on the chairman Ababu Namwamba whom they accused of conducting the affairs of the all important committee single handedly.

He said efforts to reach a compromise have failed twice after two meetings failed to produce any tangible results thus hampering the work of the committee that is tasked with scrutinizing all constitutional bills.

Marende also took issue with claims that he has been interfering with the affairs of the committee and that he favoured its chair Ababu Namwamba as he had also been a member of the ODM party.

The speaker said as an ex officio member of the house he was and would remain non partisan in executing the mandate he has been given by the constitution and remain loyal to that oath.

ODM chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo had written to the speaker requesting the removal of party members Isaac Ruto and Sophia Abdi who the party accused of siding with PNU members of the committee.

The speaker was forced to step in after it became apparent that the committee's work may ground to a halt following the wrangles.

Debate on the creation of the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission was shelved soon after it began since the report of the committee was mandatory when the bill reaches the committee stage.

Marende further warned the media to stop interfering in matters concerning the running of parliament and to respect the tenets of the House.

He said the media should stick to its mandate of fair reporting on the proceedings of the house and warned that those who violate the laid down procedure will face sanctions.