All not well in Jubilee house over loyalty, two senators receive warning letters for alleged betrayal

Nominated Senators Martha Wangari (left) and Joy Gwendo, they have been sighted for allegedly betraying Jubilee. [PHOTOS: STANDARD/FILE]

By MWANIKI MUNUHE

NAIROBI, KENYA: Crisis looms in the Jubilee Coalition over the conduct of Members of Parliament (MPs) affiliated to the ruling coalition, The Standard on Saturday can report.

In fact, at least two Jubilee Senators have already received warning letters, copies of which we obtained, warning them of unspecified action for allegedly not supporting the coalition agenda in the senate.

Nominated Senators Joy Gwendo and Martha Wangari have been accused of having participated in a process that finally saw the coalition lose the chairmanship of a Senate committee to a rival candidate affiliated to the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (CORD).

The letter dated March 26, 2014 and which has been authored by Senate Majority Leader Prof Kindiki Kithure reads in part;

“It has been reported that on 25th March 2014 or thereabout you ignored the position of the Jubilee Coalition to support Senator G.G Kariuki for the position of the chairman of the Labour and Social Welfare Committee of the Senate. As a result, you supported a candidate from the opposition for this seat and in the process exposed our coalition to defeat without reasonable cause.”

The letter continues: “Please note that your conduct undermines your record and privilege as a senator allied to the Jubilee Coalition. Meanwhile, the coalition is contemplating taking disciplinary action against you,” reads part of the letter which is copied to Senate Majority Whip Senator Beatrice Elachi.

The Jubilee Coalition had agreed to support at least two Senators Kimani Wamatangi and Kariuki to take at least a position each as chair of committees.

This came after a meeting held at State House that incorporated all Jubilee MPS and Senators which was also attended by President Uhuru Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto.

TRADED VOTES

During the meeting, The National Alliance Senators complained that the party had been treated unfairly in the distribution of chair of committees in the senate.

For this reason, it was agreed that the coalition would push for amendment of the Standing Orders to allow creation of extra committees by way of splitting the existing ones.

The coalition successfully pushed for creation of the extra committees that eventually erupted the controversies that led to the writing of the warning letters.

It is worth noting that during the amendments of the Standing Orders, the Senate unanimously voted to scrap sittings on Wednesday morning. Previously, Senate would have a full day session like the National Assembly.

The tensions are expected to rise given that although Senate Majority leader Kindiki Kithure warned of unspecified action, one of the nominated senators Martha Wangari yesterday denied all the allegations levelled against her in the letter.

Speaking to The Standard on Saturday, Wangari said she has never been part of a plot aimed at defeating the Jubilee interest.

Wangari said as far as her recollection of the events on the voting day is concerned, she did not in any way support an opposition candidate and termed Kindiki’s letter as ‘malicious  and too personal.’

“As far as I know, I did not vote for an opposition candidate, in fact, I even wonder how such claims even come up because the voting was by private ballot. This is a malicious allegation whose objective I do not understand. I have always supported the Jubilee,” she said

However, Prof Kindiki insisted the coalition will discuss the nature of disciplinary action to be taken against the said senators should they either ignore the letter or provide a response that is not satisfactory.

Similarly, Senate Majority Whip Beatrice Elachi said members of the Jubilee Coalition must work in a manner that does not defeat the interest of the ruling coalition.

“We cannot have some of our members working with the opposition to sabotage the Jubilee agenda. As a coalition, we have our own mechanism of dealing with errant members.” she said.

Sources within the Senate told The Standard on Saturday that Senators who filed the complaint with Kindiki accused Wangari of having traded her vote with the opposition on the understanding that the opposition would support her for the position of deputy chair to the Labour and Social Welfare which seat she successfully obtained.

Efforts to reach nominated Senator Gwendo for a response were fruitless as her phone was off.