- Osoro claimed Kenya Kwanza caused the absenteeism.
- ODM Central committee set to meet to review the vote.
Kakamega Woman Representative Elsie Muhanda has fought assertions by her rivals that she was absent when MPs voted to approve the second reading of the controversial Finance Bill.
Image: FILE
The late Wednesday vote on the Finance Bill has generated heat in the opposition camp amidst reports of a scheduled top organ meeting to do a postmortem on the issue.
Azimio leaders engaged in blame game as they directed their wrath on colleagues who either voted ‘Yes’ or were not in the House when the Bill sailed through to second reading with 176 against 81 votes.
The Star has reliably established that Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris was the first casualty of the rage that greeted the late night vote.
The second-term MP ganged up with the pro-government MPs and voted ‘Yes’ for the Bill in total defiance of the position of the opposition coalition.
In retaliation, she was chucked out of all opposition Whatsapp groups including the Azimio PG group.
Also on the receiving end were absentees who despite being spotted around were nowhere to be seen when the vote was being taken.
The situation was worsened by Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro’s claim that the absence by opposition MPs was part of the Kenya Kwanza plot to have the bill sail through.
“You have noted that there is unusual absence of the opposition. This is a game, we played a game. We convinced them and we caused their absenteesim. It is part of our tactics to make sure we pass what is necessary as far as Kenya Kwanza is concerned,” Osoro claimed.
Hours before the vote, Azimio Council chairman Wycliffe Oparanya addressed a press conference instructing all Azimio MPs to shoot down the bill.
“Our Members of Parliament are mobilised, whipped and aligned. They will reject this anti-people bill,” Oparanya said on Wednesday.
The Star established that ODM boss Raila Odinga has scheduled a Central Committee meeting of the Orange party to amongst other things deliberate on the conduct of the ODM members during the vote.
“Most of these issues will be discussed during Central Committee meeting,” a senior party official told the Star.
ODM is one of the founding parties in the opposition coalition.
Notable Azimio MPs who did not vote include Gideon Ochanda (Bondo),Mark Nyamita (Uriri), Babu Owino (Embakasi East), Otiende Amollo (Rarieda), Walter Owino (Awendo), Titus Lotee (Kacheliba), Farah Maalim (Dadaab), Peter Nabulindo (Matungu), Felix Oduor (Jalang’o), Fabian Mule (Kangundo)
Kenya Kwanza legislators who missed the vote include Mohammed Ali (Nyali), Majimbo Kalasinga (Kacheliba), Vincent Musyoka (Mwala), Njoroge Njore (Gatundu North), and George Sunkuiya (Kajiado West).
Some members were out of the country attending parliamentary trips abroad.
MPs Sabina Chege (nominated), TJ Kajwang (Ruaraka), Millie Odhiambo (Mbita), Rozaah Buyu (Kisumu West), Amina Mnyanzi (Malindi), Catherine Omanyo (Busia), and Joyce Kamene (Machakos) were last week suspended, hence were not in the House.
Rarieda MP Amollo on Thursdays explained his absence, blaming Speaker Moses Wetang’ula whom he claimed misled members that the debate on the bill was to run for two days.
“People are concentrating on how people voted but they are not realising how the vote was fixed. The Speaker communicated formally that the debate will be on for two days before voting. People like me who had opportunity to talk in the morning were comfortable that we will attend today for voting,” Otiende told the Star on phone.
“Unprocedurally, the Speaker allowed closure of debate on the first day and gives notice of five minutes and then proceeded to vote.”
On his part, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino explained he was having a session with his lawyer ahead of the hearing of his case.
"I was not present today (Wednesday) in Parliament because my case has been scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday) in court for a defense hearing and was with my lawyer," he said.
Speaking to the Star in Parliament, Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga while expressing disappoint with the Wednesday vote urged supporters not to lose hope, saying all is not lost.
She said Azimio will try to push changes during the committee of the whole House, which basically considers all the input made during the debate.
“I believe that as a coalition we would have done better but at the same time it was more of an ambush as many of people believed the voting was to happen next week. I am very confident this is just a second reading, people should not think that this is the end,” Ruth said.
“We might have lost on the floor but during the third reading we are going to look at each clause. There is still hope,” said Kakamega Woman Rep Elsie Muhanda.
Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba – the only UDA MP to vote against the bill - said she listened to her constituents who instructed her on how to vote.
The lawmaker defied calls by her party leader William Ruto and DP Rigathi Gachagua for Kenya Kwanza to support the bill.
Before the vote was called, Wamuchomba tore into the proposed legislation terming it as scandalous and one that would cause untold suffering to Kenyans.
“My people cannot afford a meal a day. The cost of living is too high. The cost of unga is very high. My people have told me this bill is punitive, oppressive, and scandalous,” she said.
“For the welfare of the society and just government of the people, I say no,” Wamuchomba added, joining the forces largely from the opposition, which rejected the bill.