- Nyamira senator and Jubilee party protest the list.
- Azimio had settled on Oburu, Makau and Mishi
Image: WEB
Confusion has rocked Raila Odinga’s Azimio coalition over the appointment of representatives to the Parliamentary Service Commission.
On Thursday, the coalition changed the names of its representatives to the powerful commission for the third time.
On Wednesday, the coalition sent three names of its members to Parliament to sit in the commission that runs the august Houses.
They include Raila’s elder brother and Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, and Mavoko MP Patrick Makau.
But yesterday, it amended the list, replacing Oburu with Isiolo senator Fatuma Dullo who is the senate minority whip.
Narok senator Ledama Olekina has been picked to replace Dullo as minority whip with Nyamira senator Okongo Omogeni as his deputy.
Initially, the coalition had fronted the names of Sirisia MP John Waluke and senator Omogeni.
"We feel that as Members of Parliament, we should be allowed to pick our representatives in PSC. At least we should have held a parliamentary group meeting to decide," a senator said in protest.
Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee Party is also laying claim on one slot at the commission.
Under Azimio, ODM is the largest party with 86 MPs followed by Jubilee which has 28 members, and Wiper third with 26 lawmakers.
The former ruling party has gone to the extent of writing a parallel letter to Speaker Moses Wetang’ula communicating Sirisia MP John Waluke as the party’s pick.
“Jubilee Party wishes to submit the name of Hon John Waluke Koyi, Members of Parliament for Sirisia Constituency to be a Commissioner in the Parliamentary Service Commission,” Jubilee secretary general Jeremiah Kioni said in the letter.
A copy of the letter was also delivered to Waluke at Industrial Area Prisons.
Azimio legislators have been pushing for regional balance in the distribution of the plum parliamentary jobs.
Out of the six counties in Nyanza that overwhelmingly supported Raila in the last election, four have been rewarded with big parliamentary slots.
They are Siaya which has produced the National Assembly Minority leader and Migori which has the National Assembly minority whip.
Kisumu has produced a vice chair of the senate's county public investments and special funds committee and Homa Bay has produced chairpersons of the Senate County Public Accounts Committee and National Assembly Public Accounts Committee.
Kisii and Nyamira are yet to get a slot and it was widely expected that they would be rewarded with a slot in the PSC.
Azimio has three slots at the PSC with President William Ruto producing four members.
Kenya Kwanza has already submitted four representatives who are all drawn from the United Democratic Alliance Party.
They include Members of the National Assembly Faith Gitau (Nyandarua Woman Representative) and Mohamed Ali (Nyali MP) alongside their senate colleagues Senators John Kinyua (Laikipia) and Joyce Korir (Nominated)
They will now sit in the 11-members PSC that is chaired by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula with Senate clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye as the secretary to the commission.
The PSC is the statutory body that employs MPs and parliamentary staff with benefits for commissioners including offices and vehicles.