Azimio kicks out rebels from Senate posts, Ruto allies resist

President William Ruto’s allies in the Senate have vowed to block Azimio from de-whipping rebel Jubilee members from committees.

This was after Senate Minority Whip Ledama ole Kina (Narok) in a letter to  Speaker Amason Kingi, kicked out all the five Jubilee senators and one ODM lawmaker from House committees.

“I write pursuant to Standing Order 200 to communicate the decision of the minority party to discharge the following senators from select committees,” said Olekina.

In the letter dated May 4, Olekina removed Jubilee Senators Fatuma Dullo (Isiolo), James Lomenen (Turkana), Abdul Haji (Garissa), Joseph Kamau (Lamu), Margaret Kamar (Nominated) and Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda (ODM).

However, the Jubilee splinter group led by acting Secretary General and East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) member Kanini Kega has now written a letter to Kingi opposing the removal of the Jubilee members allied to Kenya Kwanza administration.

“Please note that Senate Standing Order 198 (2) mandates Senate business committees to nominate Senators to serve in select committees so that they can discharge their mandate in the Senate. The removal of the Senators in unprocedural and denies their constituents fair representation. We seek your indulgence and implore your good office to suspend their removal,” said Kega in a letter dated May 9, 2023.

Stand firm

Jubilee Joint Secretary, Eldas MP Adan Keynan, while opposing the move by Azimio to de-whip the members, said that some of the actions being taken had made them feel unwanted in the Azimio coalition.

“The level of deceit and highhanded approach that specifically targets Jubilee and its members in Parliament has made us feel unwanted in Azimio coalition. This continuous unfair treatment is malicious unconstitutional, un-parliamentary and we will resist and fight for our rights as members of Parliament,” said Keynan.

He appealed to the Jubilee members in both Houses to stand firm and fight for their rights, adding that they will challenge the “blatant and constitutional maneuvers by the leadership of Azimio in parliament”.

On his part, Lomenen said the Azimio leadership in Parliament has coerced, threatened and intimidated to accept the composition of committees including the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) and that is why they left for Kenya Kwanza.

“We had to leave Azimio for Kenya Kwanza where we feel accommodated. They mistreated us in the composition of committees and even took our position in PSC. We have a right to be in Select Committees,” said Lomenen.

Special Funds

In its purge, Azimio has removed Lomenen from the Energy, Powers and Privileges committees while Dullo has been discharged of her duties at the  County Public Accounts Committee and National Security, Defense and Foreign Relations committees.

Olekina in his letter copied to Senate Minority leader Stewart Madzayo and House Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye, the Garissa lawmaker Haji will no longer discharge his duties at the Health and National Security, Defense and Foreign Relations committees.

Senator Githuku Kamau will no longer serve in the Education committee alongside Kamar, according to Olekina’s letter.

Ojienda, who has been serving as the Vice-chair of the Senate County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee, has also been de-whipped.

Ojienda is among the seven Orange party members who publicly declared that they are working with the government contrary to the position of the party and the Azimio coalition.

Jubilee leaders have vowed to resist attempts to remove their members from Select Committees.

The Speaker will be expected to make a decision on the changes before making communication on the floor of the House.

And should Kingi give a nod, the select committees will be required to fill the posts with other Azimio names.

In March, Azimio de-whipped Dullo as Senate Minority Whip and replaced her with Olekina who served as his deputy.

Kega also protested the removal of Keynan from the Joint Select (bipartisan) Committee talks and threatened that they will seek legal redress within 14 days.

Kega argued that the proposed mandate of the Otiende Amollo and George Murugara-led committee would have far-reaching implications in the electoral processes.

“Please take not that Jubilee Party will seek legal redress within 14 days from the date hereof in the event that the proposed bipartisan process proceeds without representation of our party,” reads part of Kega’s letter to Amollo and Murugara.