Storm over Winnie’s State House snub

Winnie Odinga is in the eye of a storm after she skipped a meeting between President William Ruto and East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) lawmakers at State House on Monday.

 Yesterday, a section of MPs allied to Kenya Kwanza accused Winnie of snubbing the Head of State and threatened to initiate a process to recall her.

Manyatta MP Gitonga Mukunji, in particular, threatened to commence proceedings to have Winnie recalled for giving the State House meeting a wide berth.

 Addressing the press at Manyatta National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) office in Embu town when he unveiled the board, lawmaker claimed that Winnie had been elected by both sides of the political divide to represent the country’s interests in the regional assembly and should thus exercise a non-partisan approach while discharging her duties.

 “All members of EALA yesterday went and met the President and CS in charge of the East Africa region to get a briefing from the President on issues facing our country. To our shock, Winnie Odinga was not there, it is a shame,” Mukunji said.

 “If she was preparing for Maandamano (demonstrations), then we will have to replace her with another person,” Mukunji said, warning that Winnie would be summoned by relevant the National Assembly committee to explain her absence from the State House meeting.

 Images shared by State House showed all the EALA MPs-elect present for the session, which had been called ahead of their swearing in ceremony scheduled to take place later this month.

 The EALA representatives from the government side who attended the session included former Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar, former Nominated MP David Sankok, former Nandi Woman Rep Zipporah Kering, Youth Leader Mwangi Maina and Iman Falhada.

Scheduled rallies

Those from Azimio camp in attendance included former Kieni MP Kanini Kega, Mombasa businessman Suleiman Shahbal and Kennedy Musyoka.

“President @WilliamsRuto has asked Kenya’s representatives to the East African Legislative Assembly to focus on trade and investment in the region,” read a statement from State House.  But although Winnie has remained mum as to why she skipped the session, Junet, in a tweet, said she was preparing for Raila’s scheduled rallies.

 “She is preparing for the Kamukunji meeting,”Junet wrote on Twitter.

 Sankok, however, noted that Winnie had sent her apologies for skipping the session.

“Hon Winnie Odinga was absent with an apology,” he said. Kega, who spoke to People Daily, explained that Winnie skipped the session because she was out of the country.

“She said she was just late for the meeting, but I also know that she was out of the country,” Kenga noted.

 Election of the EALA MPs has sparked a fallout, especially from Azimio side with a section of its leaders accusing the Orange party leader Raila Odinga and his Wiper counterpart Kalonzo Musyoka of handpicking their children to the regional body.

The Kenya Union Party associated with former West Pokot Governor John Lonyangapuo, for instance, raised concerns that it had been disregarded in the Azimio coalition. “The just concluded EALA nominations affirm Azimio is a dynastic enterprise that in reality is a personal vessel for a chosen few,” said Lonyangapuo.

Regional body

Separately, former Laikipia North MP Mathew Lempurkel also announced that he had quit ODM to protest Winnie’s election to the regional body at his expense.

 Speaking at Entiani in Narok, Lempurkel claimed that during the campaigns, Raila had promised to nominate him to the regional body, only to snub him for Winnie.

 “I was disappointed by Raila’s move to nominate his daughter instead of me. I have stood with him for a long time. He had assured me during the campaign period that one of EALA slots will be given to me,” Lempurkel said.

Former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya, Raila’s right hand man in Western Kenya, recently announced that he had withdrawn his support for the Opposition leader.

 Speaking at a funeral two weeks ago, Oparanya accused Raila of sidelining the Luhya community in nominations to the regional assembly.

 “I am done with Raila and even if he bad-mouths me, God forbid, he knows, he will not be forgiven,” he said.

The current EALA membership is expected to come to an end by December 20 to allow the nine legislators to report to Arusha, seat of the regional legislature.