ODM ejects 4 'rebels' from House teams

Samuel Arama PHOTO: STANDARD

Kenya: The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) has cracked the whip on four members of the National Assembly perceived to be rebels.

MPs Dalmas Otieno (Rongo), Samuel Arama (Nakuru Town West), Ken Obura (Kisumu Central) and Zainab Chidzuga (Kwale) have been kicked out of House committees.

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi said he had received a letter from Minority Chief Whip Thomas Mwadeghu (Wundanyi) to have the MPs removed from the committees to which they were nominated to sit in.

Mr Arama said he was not told why he was being kicked out, but noted that it could be because of his vow to work with the Jubilee administration.

"I want to protest that it is not right for ODM to de-whip members if they have done nothing. I am not going to take this lying down. This party does not belong to people from one region," said Arama.

But Mr Muturi told Arama the House rules do not allow him to intervene, saying only a party can do that. Muturi advised Arama to appeal to ODM, and if the matter is not resolved, then he can proceed to the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal.

"The Standing Orders say the political party has to notify the Speaker. Go back to the appointing authority and make your case there. I cannot help it," said Muturi.

John Mbadi (Suba) said Arama had to be "very careful" because it is ODM which sponsored him to power in the Legislature.

LIBERAL SPEECH

"He has been very liberal with his speech. In this country we are mistaking bad manners for democracy," said Mbadi.

Deputy Minority Leader Jakoyo Midiwo (Gem) said ODM is duty bound to instil discipline among members. Muturi said there were now vacancies in the committees, and they would be filled in the next 14 days.

Justice and Legal Affairs Committee Chairman Samuel Chepkonga (Ainabkoi) protested, saying because MPs were involved in the approval of the four as committee members to the respective House teams, then it had to be involved in their removal.

"The powers of this House have been ceded to some other elected body elsewhere," said Chepkonga as he called for the review of the Standing Orders. Chepkonga is a member of the Jubilee coalition.

The Jubilee coalition was gleeful with the troubles in ODM. The Majority Leader Aden Duale (Garissa Township) jumped at the chance to say ODM was an authoritarian party, and was needlessly harassing members.

"We underwent serious torture under the same party in the last Parliament. History is repeating itself," said Duale, who was sacked from the coalition government by then Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

The Majority Leader said they will amend the Standing Orders to create room for the de-whipped MPs. He said the action of de-whipping was disenfranchising MPs and the people who elected them, given that their role in oversight within committees is affected.