A matter pitting Jubilee’s top leadership and four MPs from Rift Valley has unexpectedly been opposed by NASA MPs in the house.
Jubilee is pushing for the removal of Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter, Moiben’s Silas Tiren, Embakasi North James Gakuya, Marakwet East Kangogo Bowen and Emgwen’s Alex Kosgey as committee heads in the National Assembly.
Keter was elected the chair for Labour and social welfare committee, Tiren was elected the chair for Agriculture Committee; Bowen as the head of Environment and Natural Resources committee while Kosgey got the Trade industry and Cooperatives chairmanship.
The party led by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Deputy William Ruto seeks to punish the “errant” MPs for going against the party’s position.
However, NASA through the Leader of Minority John Mbadi said they will defend their colleagues against muzzling by the executive which threatens the independence of Parliament.
“There is no reason to have a vote of no confidence against the members because the president and his deputy don’t want them to lead the committees. It is a joke on the independence of parliament and we will defend the institution,” said Mbadi according to Daily Nation.
Each of the committees has 19 members; 12 of them from Jubilee while seven are in NASA.
But even with the low number, Mbadi said they will speak in one accord during the vote-of-no-confidence against the Jubilee heads.
“Despite our numerical disadvantage, we will not just sit there and see Parliament captured by the executive. We want to be on the right side of history. You can give party position but you cannot dictate how members should vote.”