Why Kibaki skipped Speaker's Kamukunji

Friday, 27 May 2011 15:39 BY ISAAC ONGIRI

IN AGREEMENT: James Orengo with Dalmas Otieno (L) and Oburu Odinga (C) after the speaker's kamukunji

PRESIDENT Kibaki tactfully skipped a stormy informal meeting called by the Speaker to discuss damaging wrangles at the Committee of Legal Affairs and Administration of Justice after being advised by key allies against attending. MPs later agreed to sidestep the wrangling committee and instead form an ad hoc committee to handle the vetting of the Judicial Service Commission nominees for crucial judicial jobs. But a hardcore group from within PNU was planning to block in the House the formation of the ad hoc committee. And it emerged that Saboti MP Eugene Wamalwa was threatening to resign from the embattled committee.
Eight PNU MPs and their allies have fundamentally differed with three of their ODM colleagues. Three top cabinet ministers are said to have called the President and asked him to skip the meeting as they planned to fuel controversy to scuttle the success of the meeting called to seek consensus on how to put together a team that will vet the nominees Willy Mutunga for Chief Justice, Nancy Barasa as Deputy Chief Justice and Keriako Tobiko as Director of Public Prosecution.
Prime Minister Raila Odinga, already in Parliament waiting for the President before joining other MPs at the Old Parliament Building, was there for hours before being informed of the abrupt change of mind by the Head of State. Kibaki, who had earlier presided over the National Prayer Breakfast at Safari Park Hotel, rerouted to Muthaiga Golf club.
An advanced team of the Reccee Company’s Presidential Escort Team were already in Parliament waiting for Kibaki’s arrival. Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka was also waiting at the Parliament's Commonwealth Office to welcome Kibaki while the PM monitored the events from his office at Parliament Buildings.
An inside source revealed to The Star that the President was warned of an impending embarrassing situation and told to instead let the VP handle the matter. “Our people informed Mzee to keep off as this matter is murky and would have turned out embarrassingly,” said a source.
Raila drove back to his office at Shell and BP after it became clear the President was not coming as his advance security team was withdrawn.
Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, Eldoret North MP William Ruto and Energy Minister Kiraitu Murungi later met at the office of the Acting Government Chief Whip Johnstone Muthama to strategise on how to handle the situation.
At the Speaker's Kamukunji the MPs were split and they walked out with Muthama differing with his ODM counterpart over what was agreed on. “We have agreed to come up with an 11 member ad hoc committee to handle this matter and we are headed for a meeting now to consult on the names,” Jakoyo Midiwo said.
But Muthama said, “We are going to come up with a 14 member committee. As PNU we shall bring to that committee all our members at the legal committee. But this matter will not progress because we know ODM is planning to eject all the rebel MPs”.
Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo pleaded with the two teams to leave out all the members of the legal committee. “We have a few rotten eggs which must deal with. We must leave them out this committee so that we can move forward,” he said.
Inside the Kamukunji, Ruto criticised the House Business Committee chaired by Kalonzo for ineptitude. The former minister is said to have asked why the HBC was bringing to the plenary an issue they could easily have resolved internally.
Uhuru demanded that MPs be allowed to pick members of the ad hoc committee on the spot after his vigorous bid to have the embattled committee allowed to handle the vetting collapsed.
Murungi pleaded for the tabling of the report by the Liaison Committee on the dispute so that MPs could vote on it. House Speaker Kenneth Marende, who chaired the Kamukunji, did not explain why a deadline he had set to have the names tabled in Parliament was not met.