ODM flexes political muscle, again

By Oscar Obonyo and Martin Mutua

In what is believed to be a spirited bid to take full control of parliamentary business, ODM has moved to stake claim of leadership and a majority membership in the 27 House committees.

The move has paralysed operations of Parliament as no Government business in way of Motions or Bills have come for debate since the House opened two months ago, save for the budget estimates.

Instead, the House has dwelt on questions, not considered as business, from members and the time reserved for Government Motions and Bills has been spent on debating reports of committees that toured several countries in the last session and which do not add any value to Government.

For starters, this is only but the second aspect of parliamentary paralysis, the first being a standoff over the position of Leader of Government Business.

Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka was stripped of the position, in a recent historic ruling by House Speaker Kenneth Marende, following ODM’s claim to the same position.

The position remains vacant to this day, while the Speaker serves as chairman of the all-important House Business Committee. ODM, which enjoys parliamentary strength, also has party member, Ladgera MP Maalim Muhammed, as Deputy Speaker.

The Standard On Sunday has reliably established that ODM’s push to control Parliament is just part of the party’s wider political scheme to influence leadership in various spheres of Government.

The parliamentary deadlock comes barely two weeks after Deputy Prime Minister and ODM Deputy Party Leader Musalia Mudavadi staged an apparent bloodless coup within the civic authorities.

Mudavadi, who is also Local Government Minister revoked nomination of 64 councillors and appointed 77 new ones, raising political temperatures within President Kibaki’s side of Government.

Most of those kicked out were perceived to be allied to PNU and its affiliates.

"This amounts to abuse of office. The DPM is being used by ODM to foment confusion and intrigues in PNU. He cannot be right when he gives supposed unparliamentary party status as the basis for his action," protested Narc-Kenya secretary-general Danson Mungatana.

The timing of Mudavadi’s move could not have been better. He executed the apparent political plot just before the new Interim Independent Electoral Commission (IIEC) was constituted — meaning there was not electoral body to verify the nominations, as required by law.

Shifting loyalties

What is more, Mudavadi struck at a time when political loyalties had shifted greatly among PNU allied parties. Even if accorded a hearing, it was going to be a near impossibility for the parties to agree on one list.

"We find our position in Government quite tricky, if not slippery. We are not fully in it and we do not enjoy the influence — a reality that demands that we make use of our numerical strength to realise our goals," says ODM Parliamentary Group’s Secretary and Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba. It seems, other unwritten agreements among party chiefs — particularly Cabinet ministers — are to fill up positions in institutions and parastatals under their dockets, with party supporters and stalwarts.

And to remain on the moral track, Butula MP Alfred Odhiambo discloses that the party is determined to stay consistent in its demands and push for a united position on governance.

"Presently, the debate on a presidential or parliamentary system of Government is at peak and whether it favours or works against the political interests of the party, we have decided not to shift positions. ODM pushed for a parliamentary system during the 2005 constitutional referendum and that remains our position," Odhiambo told The Standard On Sunday.

And as ODM flexes political muscle, the deadlock over the constitution of the 27 House committees is now raising new fears. ODM and PNU have totally failed to agree on their composition.

Last Tuesday, two meetings of the HBC chaired by Marende ended in a stalemate as members failed to agree.

Sources told The Standard On Sunday that ODM Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo tabled a letter from the party secretary-general Anyang’ Nyong’o instructing him to ensure all the departmental committees were taken over by ODM.

Bitter protests

The sources said the move elicited protest from other PNU members in the committee who included Deputy Chief Whip Johnstone Muthama, Cabinet minister Mutula Kilonzo, nominated MP Musikari Kombo and Gichugu MP Martha Karua among others.

The sources said Muthama invoked Standing Order Number 2 demanding the interpretation by the Speaker on the composition of the coalition, where seats were supposed to be shared equally. But the Speaker is said to have insisted the matter be resolved through consultations.

However, the sources said Midiwo quoting Standing Order Number 160 insisted that ODM has majority members. Midiwo is, however, said to have told the meeting that ODM was willing to "donate" five of the 27 committees to PNU.

Yesterday, Mutula said the move by the Speaker to continue chairing the House Business Committee had brought the stalemate.