No opposition from UDA as MPs approve names to crucial House committee

Lawmakers have unanimously approved the reconstitution of the House Business Committee (HBC) by reversing its earlier rejection of the crucial team

The vote by the House yesterday is a major win to the operations of the National Assembly that was adjourned indefinitely after MPs allied to Deputy President William Ruto ambushed their rivals by rejecting names submitted to the committee.

The House approved the names of Joyce Emanikor, Shadrack Mose, Kawira Mwangaza, Mohamed Osman, Makali Mulu, Mishi Mboko, and Godfrey Osotsi.

Others in the committee courtesy of their leadership positions in the House are Speaker Justin Muturi (chair), Majority Leader Amos Kimunya, Minority Leader John Mbadi, Majority Whip Emmanuel Wangwe and Minority Whip Junet Mohamed.

The decision paved the way for the committee to convene an urgent meeting last evening to plan the agenda of the House ahead of today’s sitting.

“Now that the House has adopted the Motion approving appointment of members to the House Business Committee, I wish to invite the committee members to a meeting immediately following this sitting,” said Mr Muturi.

It was a surprise when Ruto-allied MPs who rejected the names last week did not raise any objections despite Mr Kimunya re-submitting the same names.

The Majority Leader was forced to first seek a House resolution to rescind the earlier vote before he could re-submit the names for consideration. This is because Standing Order 49 rules out the re-introduction of the Bill for consideration before six months have lapsed.

The Standing Order states that “no motion may be moved which is the same in substance as any question which has been resolved (either in the affirmative or in the negative) during the preceding six months in the same Session.”

But the same Standing Order provides that a motion to rescind the decision on such a question may be moved with the permission of the Speaker.

“Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 49(2)(a), this House resolves to rescind its decision of Tuesday, January 25, 2022, regarding appointment of members to the House Business Committee under paragraph (f) of Standing Order 171(1),” said Kimunya. 

Kimunya seized the moment to accuse MPs allied to United Democratic Alliance (UDA) of engaging in petty politics at the expense of service to the people.

“This decision has saved this House the uncertainty of it not sitting for the next six months. All these issues, including the supplementary estimates, would have been lost.

“This is our House and we cannot allow partisan and petty politics to come on the way of this House. Some MPs are taken out to be persuaded to cause chaos in the House they swore to protect,” he said.

Mbadi said it was regrettable that the House had to lose a whole week that would have been used to transact House business because of politics and grandstanding.

“I regret that this House had to lose one week because of pure politics and grandstanding. Today I am confident the names will go through so that we can proceed with the business of the House,” he said while seconding the Motion.

Addressing the press after the afternoon session, MPs Kanini Kega (Kieni) and Sabina Chege (Murang’a) accused their colleagues of engaging in petty politics just for “nuisance value.”

Kega said that UDA MPs took advantage to ambush them when some were out of the chambers to reject the names.

“We are happy that today we came in numbers and those who opposed the motion did not make any attempt to reject the names,” he said.

“We had a lot of business to transact but because of selfish political agenda by our opponents they forced the House to adjourn. Today was a simple day to undo what the UDA did. They ambushed the House,” added Kega.

Chege said it was unfortunate that UDA team was ready to sacrifice service delivery at the alter of petty politics and grandstanding.

He noted that their decision to reject reconstitution of the team was a sign that they should not be trusted with the leadership of the country.

“It shows that we are dealing with jokers because they did not have any reason to reject the names,” she said.