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Ruto, Mudavadi allies reject crucial motion, disrupt House business

UDA allied MPs, led by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei (centre), address the press at Parliament Buildings yesterday. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Allies of Deputy President William Ruto have disrupted National Assembly operations after rejecting the composition of a crucial House Committee.

The MPs joined forces with lawmakers from Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC and Moses Wetang'ula's Ford Kenya to shoot down a motion to establish the House Business Committee.

The committee chaired by Speaker Justin Muturi is responsible for setting the House agenda. The rejection implies the National Assembly that resumed sittings yesterday cannot sit until the impasse is resolved. 

The decision will frustrate government projects that require House approval, including the appropriation of money to finance capital projects. Standing Order 49 rules out the reintroduction of the Bill for consideration for six months, leaving the House leadership with the option of seeking to rescind the decision.

“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,” states the Standing Order.

The vote caught MPs allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga by surprise. National Assembly Majority Leader Amos Kimunya sought the approval of MPs Joyce Emanikor, Shadrack Mose, Kawira Mwangaza, Mohamed Osman, (Dr.) Makali Mulu, Mishi Mboko, and Godfrey Osotsi to be members of the committee. But Ruto allies shot the names down over claims they were not involved.

They later stormed out chanting “earthquake” in reference to the latest political realignment that saw Ruto join forces with Mudavadi and Wetangúla. Kimunya said the parties settled on the team because of their experience. Allies of Uhuru and Raila described the decision as selfish and would end up denying Kenyans crucial services.

Meanwhile, the DP's allies yesterday accused President Kenyatta of blocking senators from travelling over the controversial coalitions Bill.

The senators claimed that some members and staff have had their luggage offloaded from the plane in what they linked to an attempt by the Executive to fast-track the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

Former Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen further alleged that Uhuru berated a member who was planning to travel out of the country when the House was supposed to consider the Bill.

The president is said to have rebuked the unnamed senator when he hosted MPs allied to Azimio La Umoja Movement at State House, Nairobi.

“The president was hard on one of the members of this House about travelling. So you can tell that if we continue like this, the Executive will be dictating how we will operate as Parliament,” he added.

The senator said the decision by the executive to block MPs was likely to become a trend if not rejected while citing the recent incident where Ruto was blocked from flying to Uganda.

The claims emerged yesterday when the Senate Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights tabled its report on the Bill, and rejected any amendments even as Ruto allies indicated plans to introduce changes at the Committee of the Whole House stage. 

 

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