• Jubilee Party members who contravene its code of conduct violate its constitution.
• The controversial National Management Committee recently established by Uhuru would be the political guillotine.
Image: FILE
President Uhuru Kenyatta's lieutenants are targeting five nominated senators allied to DP William Ruto in another round of shake-up that could see them lose their seats.
Uhuru's allies plotting the expulsion say planned sweeping changes at the National Assembly targeting the DP's allies could be delayed to July to allow a seamless budget-making process.
Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung'wa, a key Ruto ally, for example, chairs the powerful Budget and Appropriations Committee that is in the process of reviewing the 2020-21 budget estimates. He is said to be targeted among other committee chairpersons.
National Assembly Majority leader Aden Duale is likely to survive the purge targeting the DP's allies in the 349-member House, among them Majority Chief Whip Benjamin Washiali.
Garissa Township MP Duale, who holds the powerful constitutional office, plays his political cards close to the chest and is said to have earned the trust and confidence of both Uhuru and Ruto.
The other parliamentary offices provided in the Constitution are the speaker and Minority leader positions. The Constitution is silent on the Senate Majority and Minority leaders.
Despite being a key Ruto ally, Uhuru's allies say, Duale has successfully pushed government agenda, respected the President and won synergy from both sides.
Uhuru's allies say they will invoke the Political Parties Act, the Jubilee constitution and the Elections Act to replace the defiant nominated senators who are said to proclaim their loyalty to Ruto.
Jubilee has 10 nominated senators but the purge targets five, among them Millicent Omanga, Christine Zawadi, Mary Seneta, Falhada Dekow and Alice Milgo.
Those to be spared are Isaac Mwaura, Beth Mugo, Naomi Jillo Waqo and Farhiya Ali Haji and Halakhe Abshiro.
Show-cause letters have been sent to the targetted senators and they are expected to face a disciplinary committee as early as next week.
The Political Parties Act provides that a member may only be expelled from the party if the member has infringed the constitution of the party.
According to Section 14(7) of the Act, the said member must be afforded a fair hearing in accordance with the internal party disputes resolution mechanisms as prescribed in the constitution of the party.
Uhuru's lieutenants believe that by undermining the President, who is the party leader, the rebels have acted in breach of the party's supreme document.
"Undermining the President, who is the Jubilee Party leader, constitutes an offence against the code of conduct," said Jubilee vice chairman David Murathe, citing Article 16 of the Jubilee constitution.
The Article reads, “All members of the Party shall conduct themselves with the highest standard of personal integrity and honour and shall not involve themselves in dishonourable conduct.”
Failure to comply with the party’s code of conduct shall constitute a disciplinary offence that can lead to expulsion, according to the party constitution.
The decision of the disciplinary committee must be endorsed by the National Executive Committee. The National Management Committee, which is working on behalf of NEC, is under Uhuru's control, spelling doom for the senators.
Once expelled from the party and the Registrar of Political Parties confirms the deregistration, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission would be compelled to replace them.
“If a representative of a political list dies, withdraws from the party list, changes parties, resigns or is expelled from his or her party during the term of the representative, the seat of the representative shall be allocated to the next candidate of the same gender on the respective party list,” the Elections Act, 2012, says.