Wiper bid for Parliamentary Service Commission seats rock unity in NASA

Wiper's move has political ramifications in ODM who have to re-plan their list. [File, Standard]

The Wiper party yesterday threw its coalition partners under the bus in the battle for Parliamentary Service Commission seats by successfully pushing for the nomination of Borabu MP Ben Momanyi.

The move by the Kalonzo Musyoka-led outfit is likely to isolate it from its coalition partners Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), Ford Kenya, and Amani National Congress (ANC) for going against the official position of the National Super Alliance (NASA).

The development has political ramifications in ODM, which will now have to go back to the drawing board to drop either Aisha Jumwa (Malindi) or Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga to get a nominee in the Senate. It also means double jeopardy for Musalia Mudavadi’s ANC as Vihiga Senator George Khaniri will now miss out on both the PSC and Senate Minority Whip positions.

Khaniri was initially meant to go for the Senate Minority Whip but traded the position with Makeuni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr, who was earmarked for PSC.

The opposition coalition had on Monday settled on Mutula Jr (Wiper), Wanga (ODM), and Jumwa (ODM) in an effort to swap Khaniri and Mutula following Wiper's insistence on the PSC slot. Wiper, however, failed to withdraw Momanyi's name from the Speaker, which it submitted through its chairman, Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni governor).