Opposition MPs vow to boycott special session to be addressed by President Uhuru Kenyatta

Kenya: A group of CORD members of the National Assembly and Senate have said they would not attend today's special session of Parliament to be addressed by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The MPs criticised the decision to recall them from recess to attend the special session this afternoon, arguing that it was not "a matter of national importance".

"As far as we are concerned, this is a Jubilee parliamentary group and we have nothing to do with it," said Senate Minority Leader Moses Wetang'ula.

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale said Parliament should not be dragged into the issue.

"The ICC charge sheet did not refer to Uhuru Kenyatta as "president". This is a personal issue and Members of Parliament should not be involved," Khalwale said.

Other CORD MPs also told off the President over the special session.

Although it is not clear what message Uhuru would be giving, it is expected the speech could be in relation to the ICC status conference summons he is expected to honour.

The MPs wondered why the President wanted to address the special session, when he had termed The Hague issue a "personal problem".

Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma also said he would not be attending the session, claiming the recall did not fulfil the "urgency requirement".

"If it was a session where we would be allowed to interrogate the President, I could have attended. I cannot just sit there like a statue and listen to someone who is facing criminal charges in a court of law," said Kaluma.

However, other MPs who spoke to The Standard said the coalition had not taken a common position on the matter, and the decision by any MP to skip the session would be personal.

Nominated MP Isaac Mwaura said he would be attending since he did not know what the President would be talking about.

"I have received a message to attend, but I will just go and find out what he wants to talk about. May be it is not about the ICC case," said Mwaura.

No consultation

Some Opposition MPs claimed there was a procedural oversight in the way the meeting was convened.

Reports emerged that the MPs and senators got a message from their leaders in the Senate and National Assembly asking them not to attend President Kenyatta's address to the House.

 

"You just need to check the Standing Orders. It says when you summon MPs, there has to be consultation between the minority and majority leaders. None of that happened. I believe the coalition leadership met and decided we should not go. I have a message here from the minority leader asking me not to go to the House, and I will comply with it," said Ugenya MP David Ochieng'.

The Senate Minority Leader Francis Nyenze declined to comment on the planned boycott after a meeting he was holding in his constituency last evening. He declined to confirm whether he had sent out the message to his MPs asking them to keep off the august House. "Give me an hour and then call, right now I am in Kitui. I will let you know when I get to Nairobi," said Nyenze.

The Deputy Minority Whip Chris Wamalwa (Kiminini) said he was not aware of the decision, but that there has to be consultation between the majority and minority sides.

"I am leaving right now for a conference on the Northern corridor in Entebbe, Uganda. We're boarding the plane. But what I can tell you is, there has to be consultation between the majority and minority sides," said Wamalwa over the phone.

Kisumu Town West MP John Olago Aluoch (ODM) said he was not aware of plans to boycott the special sitting. Even if there were such overtures, he added, he would ignore them because this is parliamentary business.

Calls to the minority coalition's Chief Whip Thomas Mwadeghu (Wundanyi) and National Assembly Deputy Minority Leader Jakoyo Midiwo (Gem) went unanswered.

The National Assembly is on recess until October 14.