Heated Exchange Greets Frst Debate

Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindike and Senate MInority Leader Moses Wetangula.

BY DINAH ONDARI
WEDNESDAY, 24 APRIL, 2013

Party rivalries and intrigues yesterday dominated debate on the presidential speech in the Senate. Senators belonging to the two main coalitions— Jubi- lee and Cord— traded accusations on various issues including the last General Election even as those from the latter poked holes into the president’s speech. However, Senators from Jubilee in return put up a strong fight, saying the criticism levelled against the government was unjustified as it is barely a month in of- fice.

Minority Leader Moses Wetang’ula set the mood when he criticised President Uhuru’s speech terming “full of rhetoric and lacking in policy”. The Bungoma Senator said the speech was populist it did not refer to implementation possibilities. He claimed the President was not serious about devo- lution because he should have proposed the repealing of the National Government Coordination Act to get rid of county commissioners, who are “illegally” in office and “undermining gover- nors”.

“The President did not demonstrate respect for court rules and commit- ment to devolution,” said Wetang’ula. He also poked holes into the promise to provide lap- tops for class one kids saying it is an empty promise because there is no infrastructure to support the project especially in rural areas.

“I hope this is not another case of “London taxis” where crooked businessmen are waiting to reap from doing business with government” said Wetang’ula. Attracted protest But it is a claim that only Central Kenya had benefit- ted from road infrastructure that raised temperatures in the House. Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwae supported the claims. Mutahi Kagwe rose on a Point of Order to contest the allegation saying it was misleading.

The claims also attracted protest from Gideon Mbuvi (Nairobi) who accused Wetang’ula of hypocrisy as he had been in government in the previous regime and did little for his region. Supporting Wetang’ula, Khalwale claimed Central Kenya had gotten more than 2,300km or road network from previous governments when Western Kenya did not. Machakos Senator John- stone Muthama also appeared to have opened a can of worms when he claimed that the last elections were not free and fair.

Yusuf Hajj (Garissa) said the matter of election was long gone and that Muthama should stop “being such a cry baby” and move on. Earlier, there was a spat between Khwalwe and Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki after the former questioned Kindiki for coming late yet he knew he was supposed to move the motion that was on the floor. “In the history of Parlia- ment it has never happened that a Leader of Majority, who is the equivalent of leader of government business in the previous House comes late,” said Khalwale.

But Kindiki told off Khalwale wondering why he was criticising him yet he had defied a coalition agreement between his party and Jubilee and frolicking on his own. Hitting back Khwalwale said he will not be intimidate as he was elected on a UDF ticket and would remain in the party until the end of his term and warned Kindiki that he was senior politician whom he should not challenge. However, Kindiki was quick to remind him that while he was young in politics, he was Khalwale’s senior in the House.