Ruto to chair coalition PG, unveil bipartisan team

President William Ruto will chair the Parliamentary Group meeting at State House ahead of resumption of Parliament in the afternoon.

Parliamentarians are on a 10-day recess and will be coming back to a full in-tray, including the formation of an ad hoc committee to address the issues raised by the opposition.

The Star has established that House leadership-Majority and Minority leaders in the bicameral Parliament-are likely to be dropped as part of the deal between President William Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga.

Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah is the National Assembly Majority leader while his Senate counterpart is Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot.

Raila too left out Minority leaders Opiyo Wandayi (National Assembly) and Stewart Madzayo (Senate) when he named his team last week.

A source in the Majority leadership confirmed to the Star that an agreement was reached to lock out the leaders from the technical team.

“The decision to leave out the leaders was made Thursday morning following a request from the two leaders,” the source who requested not to be named, said.

“We are going to meet at State House where we shall agree on the names that will have talks with Azimio,” he said.

Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa confirmed the State House meeting and somehow appeared to corroborate the decision to lock out the Majority leaders from the ad hoc committee.

According to Barasa, leadership must be left to steer the House as per their mandate.

“I have not heard the discussion [locking out leadership] but I will agree that leadership should focus on their mandate in the House as contained in the Constitution,” Barasa told the Star on the phone.

The lawmaker said the team should be a blend of lawmakers with legal background and politicians.

Azimio has agreed on its seven-member team to engage with the government side.

The opposition will be represented by Senate Minority Whip Ledama Olekina, ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna and Senate Deputy Minority leader Enoch Wambua.

Others in the team are MPs Otiende Amollo (Rarieda), David PKosing (Pokot South), Millie Odhiambo (Suba North) and Amina Mnyanzi (Malindi).

The team was picked during an extraordinary Azimio la Umoja Parliamentary Group meeting in Stoni Athi, Machakos county.

However, some Azimio leaders led by Embakasi East MP Babu Owino have poked holes in the list of negotiators claiming youths have been left out.

The youthful MP claimed that young people got a raw deal despite being the face of the anti-government demonstrations that birthed the bipartisan talks.

"A team has been set up to represent Azimio in the bipartisan talks. I wish them well. However, it would have been more efficient if a youth was part of the team because it's the youth who are killed, maimed and still at the forefront in the struggle," Owino tweeted.

Kileleshwa MCA Robert Alai also faulted the selection team, insisting that county assembly representatives ought to have been involved.

"MCAs drove the resistance against impunity. MPs sold us off and were even bought in the National Assembly and Senate like njugu. So why don't we have MCAs?" Alai posed.

But Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi dismissed the rifts as selfish, saying the team had the blessings of everyone during the extra-ordinary Parliamentary Group meeting.

“There was no contestation against the names, those names were a good representation of a good team to negotiate for us. If it is a matter of youth then both Mnyazi and Sifuna are youthful,” Osotsi said.

“People should leave out their selfish interest and focus on the bigger picture.”

The senator also noted Azimio has not abandoned its push for the extra-parliamentary route, saying county assemblies will have representation in the National Accord.

“This is parliamentary initiative. The MCAS will form part of the extra-parliamentary committee. There is no climb-down,” he said.

But Barasa dismissed the argument, saying an ad hoc committee of Parliament cannot submit its report to foreigners.

“Just form an ad hoc committee that should report to leadership and not other person outside Parliament. There is no way an ad hoc committee of Parliament can report to strangers,” Barasa said.