Fresh row over PNU job as House reopens

By PETER LEFTIE pmutibo@ke.nationmedia.com AND EMEKA-MAYAKA GEKARA gmayaka@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Sunday, September 26 2010 at 22:00
In Summary

Politicians feud over post of joint government whip and membership to vital parliamentary law team

Ties between PNU alliance partners Kanu and ODM Kenya are set to be tested when Kenya's Parliament reopens on Tuesday.

A tussle is expected between the parties, headed by Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka centred around the replacement of former Juja MP George Thuo as joint Government Chief Whip.

Kangundo MP Johnstone Muthama of ODM-K has been acting after Mr Thuo, a close ally of Mr Kenyatta, lost his seat in an election petition. Mr Thuo has since been defeated and the question now is whether Mr Muthama, who is close to Mr Musyoka, will be confirmed to the position.

There are some in ODM-K who would wish for Mr Muthama to be confirmed but Mr Kenyatta’s allies on Sunday said the position should remain in Kanu.

The contest is likely to test the political friendship between Mr Musyoka and Mr Kenyatta.

PNU’s government coalition partner and Orange Democratic Movement is also grappling with internal debates over appointments to a committee that will oversee the implementation of the new Constitution.

Already, there is disquiet that the instability in parties could affect the heavy legislative agenda ahead where MPs are expected to keep to a tight schedule in passing laws to bring the new Constitution into force.

After losing two by-elections last week, PNU’s leadership wrangles intensified with chairman George Saitoti and secretary general Kiraitu Murungi coming under pressure to resign.

ODM, which has had better internal discipline, is also experiencing internal frictions over alleged attempts to replace secretary general Anyang’ Nyong’o and executive director Janet Ong’era.

In the PNU’s Chief Whip debate, some politicians are lobbying for Ndaragua MP Jeremiah Kioni, another of Mr Kenyatta’s allies, to take over.

Assistant minister Mwangi Kiunjuri and MPs John Mututho (Naivasha) and Mithika Linturi ( Igembe South) acknowledged that there were contests about the position.

Said Mr Kiunjuri, the Water assistant minister: “There is a raging war over the position. We had reserved the seat for Mr Thuo but he did not make it back to Parliament. Now the decision on who should take the position must discussed by everybody.”

Mr Murungi clarified that Mr Muthama was appointed in an acting capacity and that PNU will meet to agree on Mr Thuo’s replacement.

“The PNU parliamentary group will meet and elect another whip. Anybody interested can contest,” he said.

Mr Linturi, a Kanu MP, said the post should remain within the former ruling party.

“If the agreement that the PNU coalition was founded upon is to be honoured, the seat should go to Kanu, that is why Thuo was appointed. Uhuru should stand firm and lay claim to the position,” he argued.

Both ODM and PNU are only now beginning to grapple with the nomination of members to the Parliamentary Oversight Committee on implementation of the new Constitution.

There are fears that disagreements within the parties over the committee’s membership could spill to the floor of the House, delaying the passage of crucial Bills.

Within PNU, there is no broadly accepted criteria for nominating representatives to the committee.

In ODM, a faction led by Higher Education minister William Ruto is likely to clash with supporters of Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

Joint Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo, an ODM member and an ally of Mr Odinga, warned yesterday in Gem that MPs who opposed the new Constitution during the referendum campaigns would be locked out of the committee in what is seen as a veiled reference to the Ruto camp.

Mr Murungi said MPs had started jostling for membership to the committee. “That is expected because this is a political process but there will be consultations.”

MPs from small parties are also seeking to join the committee.

“The process must be consultative and all-inclusive,” said Mr Manson Nyamweya of Ford People.

A joint ODM/PNU parliamentary group meeting chaired by President Kibaki and Mr Odinga last month unanimously picked Mandera Central MP Abdikadir Mohammed and his Budalang’i counterpart Ababu Namwamba as chair and vice-chair respectively. Political parties were left to nominate their own members.

Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister Mutula Kilonzo has published three Bills to implement the new Constitution and expects to table them in Parliament for debate as early as this week.

The three Bills are the Commission on the Implementation of the Constitution Bill, 2010, the Vetting of Judges and Magistrates Bill, 2010, and the Judicial Service Commission Bill 2010.

Various government ministries are also consulting on three other Bills required to implement the new laws before they are taken to the Cabinet for approval.

They are the National Police Service Bill, 2010, the Independent Police Oversight Authority Bill and the National Police Service Commission Bill, 2010.

Mr Kilonzo said last week that the Bills will play a crucial role in reforming the various government institutions.