Jubilee MPs vote to kick out rebels as NASA abstains

Jubilee Party MPs who defied President Uhuru Kenyatta on House committee slots are facing uncertainty as the Opposition colleagues they were banking on for support plan to skip voting this morning.

The National Super Alliance (NASA) wrote to its members warning against attending today's sitting, arguing that the presence of Opposition MPs would give the “illegal undertaking” by Jubilee “legitimacy”.

The Opposition’s decision to skip the vote of no confidence against the four is further aimed at denying the committee quorum to proceed with the ouster.

This will work against the 'rebels' because they will now have to battle for their seats without the support of at least seven members from the Opposition.

Targeted in the vote of no confidence are Alfred Keter (Nandi Hills), Silas Tiren (Moiben) and James Gakuya (Embakasi North), who were elected chairmen of the Labour and Social Welfare, Agriculture and Livestock, and Broadcasting and Library committees respectively.

Others on the chopping block are Kangogo Bowen (Marakwet East), who was elected the vice chairman of the Environment, Water and Mineral Resources committee, and Ford Kenya’s Catherine Wambilianga, who was elected to deputise Mr Keter.

Farmers in North Rift on Monday staged a protest in support of the beleaguered MPs, and asked Uhuru and his deputy William Ruto to rescind the decision to push them out of the committees.

Led by Uasin Gishu large-scale farmers Christopher Kiptum, Kimutai Kolum, Rono Mondet and Kenya Farmers Association (KFA) Director Kipkorir Menjo, they said Mr Tiren was best suited for the position because he came from a leading agricultural constituency.

If Keter, Tiren, Bowen and Gakuya are to survive the vote, they must convince at least two members from each of their committees, assuming no NASA MP turns up.

Minority Chief Whip Junet Mohammed hit out at Uhuru for interfering with Parliament’s independence.

On Thursday, the President and DP summoned to State House MPs who are members the four committees and asked them to reject their leaders.

Line-up

Jubilee had lined up Bura MP Ali Wario to chair the Labour committee, Adan Haji Ali of Mandera South for Agriculture and Ijara MP Sophia Abdi for vice chairperson of the Environment and Natural Resources committee.

Jubilee Secretary General Raphael Tuju said Parliament had a right to institute its mechanisms to ensure.

“I would not want to interfere with what Parliament is doing since it has structures to deal with such matters,” said Mr Tuju.

National Assembly Leader of Majority Aden Duale declined to comment on the no-confidence vote, saying he would do so once the committees finished their sittings.