What next after ODM withdrew its members from the crucial Parliamentary Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs amid serious constitutional agenda in the House to implement new laws?
This is the question many are asking after the leadership tussle over the chairmanship of the committee intensified among the coalition parties – ODM and PNU.
While PNU insisted the chairman Ababu Namwamba resigns claiming he was partial, ODM reads "ill-intents" and chose to pull out altogether.
The party’s Secretary General Anyang’ Nyong’o made it clear ODM was not ready to succumb to the dictates of PNU because Mr Namwamba was impartial in his duties. ODM claims some forces within PNU were out to sideline Namwamba so that they can have control of the key constitutional implementation processes.
This is why the party is no longer interested in having its members in the committee even when it was apparent their contributions would be ignored for vested political interests. The move by ODM to pull out eases the building tension between the two sides of the coalition over the control of the committee.
Some disillusioned committee members had also launched a scathing attack on Speaker Kenneth Marende and his deputy, Farah Maalim claiming they were frustrating efforts to eject Namwamba.
The team, led by vice chairman Njoroge Baiya, Isaac Ruto, Mutava Musyimi, Eugene Wamalwa and George Nyamweya piled pressure on Namwamba even as Mr Marende denied claims of bias.
Renegade party membersGem MP Jakoyo Midiwo who is ODM’s chief whip maintained the party will not accept to have a member who is not loyal to the party.
He claimed PNU was out to use some renegade party members ostensibly to wreck the party from within.
"There is no way you can nominate someone who strongly campaigned against the new laws," Midiwo told The Standard On Sunday.
He said if the party was to participate in the parliamentary committees, then PNU must listen and stop using ODM renegade members to lead reforms.
"There is a ploy to use some of our members to scuttle the new Constitution implementation and we will not allow this to happen," Midiwo said.
Political observers, lawyers and MPs interviewed by The Standard On Sunday said the only option after ODM’s exit is to reconstitute the committee afresh to avoid further woes. University of Nairobi political science lecturer Adams Oloo says there is no way PNU will transact the legal committee affairs when ODM has pulled out.
"Let us face the facts. ODM members being prompted for the seat are no longer active subscribers to the party. Therefore this knocks them out," Dr Oloo said in apparent reference to Isaac Ruto.
East Africa Law Society of Kenya (Eals) Vice Chairman Aggrey Mwamu and Economist Sammy Onyango said the only option now is to dissolve the committee.
While both parties are key principal partners in the coalition with ODM having majority of members in the House, PNU enjoys leadership control of key parliamentary committees.
The Standard On Sunday established ODM was keen to re-position itself to assume leadership of some key parliamentary committees as well to ensure balance after it relinquished the Leader of Government Business to PNU.
Attempts to reach PNU Vice Chairman George Nyamweya and Wamalwa on phone were unsuccessful.By Kepher Otieno
This is the question many are asking after the leadership tussle over the chairmanship of the committee intensified among the coalition parties – ODM and PNU.
While PNU insisted the chairman Ababu Namwamba resigns claiming he was partial, ODM reads "ill-intents" and chose to pull out altogether.
The party’s Secretary General Anyang’ Nyong’o made it clear ODM was not ready to succumb to the dictates of PNU because Mr Namwamba was impartial in his duties. ODM claims some forces within PNU were out to sideline Namwamba so that they can have control of the key constitutional implementation processes.
This is why the party is no longer interested in having its members in the committee even when it was apparent their contributions would be ignored for vested political interests. The move by ODM to pull out eases the building tension between the two sides of the coalition over the control of the committee.
Some disillusioned committee members had also launched a scathing attack on Speaker Kenneth Marende and his deputy, Farah Maalim claiming they were frustrating efforts to eject Namwamba.
The team, led by vice chairman Njoroge Baiya, Isaac Ruto, Mutava Musyimi, Eugene Wamalwa and George Nyamweya piled pressure on Namwamba even as Mr Marende denied claims of bias.
Renegade party membersGem MP Jakoyo Midiwo who is ODM’s chief whip maintained the party will not accept to have a member who is not loyal to the party.
He claimed PNU was out to use some renegade party members ostensibly to wreck the party from within.
"There is no way you can nominate someone who strongly campaigned against the new laws," Midiwo told The Standard On Sunday.
He said if the party was to participate in the parliamentary committees, then PNU must listen and stop using ODM renegade members to lead reforms.
"There is a ploy to use some of our members to scuttle the new Constitution implementation and we will not allow this to happen," Midiwo said.
Political observers, lawyers and MPs interviewed by The Standard On Sunday said the only option after ODM’s exit is to reconstitute the committee afresh to avoid further woes. University of Nairobi political science lecturer Adams Oloo says there is no way PNU will transact the legal committee affairs when ODM has pulled out.
"Let us face the facts. ODM members being prompted for the seat are no longer active subscribers to the party. Therefore this knocks them out," Dr Oloo said in apparent reference to Isaac Ruto.
East Africa Law Society of Kenya (Eals) Vice Chairman Aggrey Mwamu and Economist Sammy Onyango said the only option now is to dissolve the committee.
While both parties are key principal partners in the coalition with ODM having majority of members in the House, PNU enjoys leadership control of key parliamentary committees.
The Standard On Sunday established ODM was keen to re-position itself to assume leadership of some key parliamentary committees as well to ensure balance after it relinquished the Leader of Government Business to PNU.
Attempts to reach PNU Vice Chairman George Nyamweya and Wamalwa on phone were unsuccessful.By Kepher Otieno
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