- High Court dismissed notice of motion by Sabina setting stage for changes.
- Azimio claims the delay is to allow Sabina get further orders to stay in office.
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
The delay in changing the Minority leadership largely blamed on inaction by House Speaker Moses Wetang’ula is expected to trigger a political storm as MPs resume sittings on Tuesday.
Opposition MPs are already breathing fire and have pledged to scuttle House business during afternoon session.
They want Wetang’ula to announce Embakasi West MP Mark Mwenje as the deputy Minority Whip.
Mwenje is replacing nominated MP Sabina Chege in the lucrative position.
National Assembly Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi has demanded that Wetang’ula announce the changes the first thing Tuesday or the opposition paralyse the afternoon sitting.
“We are giving a notice for whoever cares to listen to listen clearly, if the court order that was issued on October 9 is not effected by the Speaker and Hon Mwenje allowed to resume his role as the deputy Minority Whip then there will be no business in the National Assembly when the House resumes,” Wandayi said.
“This joke has been extended too far and for too long and it must come to an end in one way or the other.”
It was not, however, clear how the opposition plans to actualise their threats, but sources told the Star of plans to disrupt the House business during the afternoon.
On October 9, a High Court ruled that it had no jurisdiction over the matter as Sabina had not exhausted internal dispute resolution mechanisms within the Azimio coalition.
Earlier, the Kiambu court had issued orders against the removal of the former woman representative until the case is determined.
Wetang’ula cited the case for his inaction in effecting the changes.
According to Wandayi, the Speaker has been dragging his feet since the verdict was made on October 9, a move he said has hampered the operations of Azimio in Parliament.
“Our business as a coalition is hampered on the account of the vacancy which has been there for too long,” the Ugunja MP said.
Office of the whip, is amongst others, responsible for ensuring their members attend to House business, particularly when there is contentious business to be transacted with a view to ensuring that each party’s policy agenda is passed.
They are also tasked with placing members to various House committees, as well as enforcing party discipline among members.
“Since that court ruling was made, we have continued to be taken in circles. On one hand the Speaker was waiting for the ruling to land on his desk, [on the other hand] when it landed they said they are waiting for the certified ruling,” Wandayi said.
“Meanwhile, those who went to court including Sabina are running around court of appeal trying to get some further orders to stop the Speaker from implementing the order of the High Court.”
Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Jubilee party has also protested the delays in effecting the changes.
In a letter to the Speaker, the former ruling wants an immediate replacement of Sabina following the court verdict on October 9.
“This delay gives rise to concerns that you are inadvertently enabling Hon Sabina Chege to engage in forum shopping, with the intention of obtaining alternative favourable orders from the appellate courts,” the letter signed by Jubilee secretary general Jeremiah Kioni reads.
“We believe that your actions, or lack thereof, have the potential to erode the fundamental principles of fidelity to multi-party democracy. As guardians of the democratic process, we implore you to act swiftly and transparently to convey and enforce Azimio Coalition’s decision, thereby confirming Hon Mark Mwenje as the Deputy Minority Whip of the Azimio Coalition.”