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The National Assembly was yesterday turned into a shouting match arena after the Azimio coalition placed rebel MPs who recently held a meeting with President William Ruto in what is seen as inferior committees.

Lawmakers from both sides of the divide clashed after a new supplementary Order Paper bearing the changes was circulated to the members, a development that saw sittings adjourned prematurely.

According to the Order Paper, those placed in the Committee on Members’ Services and Facilities, widely regarded as the catering committee, include Elisha Odhiambo (Gem) and Paul Abuor (Rongo).
Trouble started after Minority Whip Junet Mohammed, who was contributing on the new changes, protested what he termed as interference from the Majority side on the affairs of the Minority.

De-whipped

According to Mohammed (pictured), the Majority side, during a meeting of the selection committee convened on Wednesday evening to place members in various House committees, blocked the Minority from initiating changes to the various committees that would have seen some of them de-whipped.
He accused Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wa of blocking him from making the changes yet each coalition is entitled to make changes whenever it wants.

“What happened yesterday remains the worst day in the history of this Parliament. As a minority we are not punishing anyone for what they have done. What we are doing is just to make changes so that we can put our house in order. However this did not happen as the Majority side tried to run the affairs of the Minority side and I dare say that if this continues it will have consequences,” said Junet.

But Ichung’wa claimed Mohammed had tried to sneak in a list that he wanted debated but was locked out because the matter was not part of the agenda.

Ichung’wa told the House that the majority side is not interested in the affairs of the minority side.

“I chaired the meeting of the selection committee from about 5pm to around 7pm and it is true that there was a list that came from the Minority which members felt was not part of the agenda’s meeting circulated to the committee,” he explained.

Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie who is member of the selection committee echoed Ichung’wa’s sentiments saying Mohamed sneaked in a list that he wanted discussed yet it was not in the agenda.