Jubilee MPs want CORD's new whip Thomas Mwadeghu out of key team

NAIROBI, KENYA: The ruling Jubilee coalition has rendered the opposition's chief whip powerless within the vital committee that sets the agenda of the House.

The Minority Whip Thomas Mwadeghu (Wundanyi) was almost kicked out of a meeting of the House Business Committee because his membership to the team had not been approved by the House.

The new point of clash between the Jubilee coalition and the Coalition for Reform and Democracy has seen CORD ask Jubilee for more time to lobby the House so that when Mwadeghu's name is tabled, it is approved.

MPs who attended the House Business Committee meeting told The Standard that Mwadeghu will not be allowed to move any matter or to vote within the key committee until his name is approved on the floor of the House.

The sources, who requested not to be named for fear of penalties for taking committee business to the press, said the chairman of The National Alliance Johnson Sakaja asked Mwadeghu to leave the meeting because he was not a bonafide member.

However, the Speaker, Justin Muturi, who is the chairperson of the committee said House rules allowed MPs to attend committees "as friends of the committee".