Central Kenya MPs in trouble for defying Uhuru

The leaders should not misuse their powers but rather have respect for the President. The most shameful thing is the reasons they used to reject her - Murang'a Governor Mwangi wa Iria

MPs from Mt Kenya region have come under fire for what is seen as their disrespect and open defiance against President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Governors, members of county assemblies and other leaders from the region where President Uhuru enjoys a near fanatical support, have described the MPs as a let down to the Jubilee administration.

The criticism stemmed from the MPs’ rejection of Uhuru’s appointee to the position of Secretary to the Cabinet Monica Juma. The move did not go down well with grassroots leaders as well as residents. On the receiving end has been Kandara MP Alice Wahome who hails from Murang’a County. The MPs have been accused of leading the brigade to reject her nomination.

But a defiant Wahome insisted that the matter was, “long concluded and politicians should not use the issue to prove their relevance.”

Leading the chorus of condemnation of the MPs is Murang’a Governor Mwangi wa Iria, Meru’s Peter Munya and their Kirinyaga counterpart Joseph Ndathi. Wa Iria criticised the MPs, saying despite varied opinions, “they should show respect to the President.”

The governor said MPs should discard the culture of displaying their disrespect to the office of the Presidency but rather engage him in a civilised manner. Speaking in Gatara village, Wa Iria, said the local leadership should recognise professionals from the region and lobby for them to get lucrative positions in the Government.

“The leaders should not misuse their powers but rather have respect for the President. The most shameful thing is the reasons they used to reject her,” Wa Iria said.

In Kandara, former MP Maina Kamau said Wahome, his successor, should stop waging war on individuals from the region.

Munya also condemned MPs for going against the President’s wish in Juma’s nomination, saying the National Assembly had turned dictatorial.

Munya, who is also the Council of Governors (CoG) chairman, said MPs had publicly displayed their arrogance and pride by denying the highly qualified Juma the job.

“She has done a very good job in her position (Interior PS). But MPs are now punishing her for that. She did not break any laws when she refused to be influenced. Parliament makes laws but when a civil servant goes by them, she is punished for that,” Munya said.

The county chief said Juma’s rejection by Parliament was a setback to efforts to empower women in the country.

“As CoG, we call upon the President and Kenyans to protect Juma against a dictatorial Parliament,” he said.

Ndathi said the move by the MPs was a clear manifestation they were undermining the President.

Ndathi wondered why just a polite letter that Juma wrote to the MPs, simply reminding them of Chapter Six of the Constitution, could have enraged them to an extent of taking such a punitive measure against her.

 CONSULT DUALE

The governor said it was on record how some MPs misused their positions to fight defenseless civil servants and that Juma’s letter only asked them not to force her contravene the Constitution.

“I recall well in some places, Kirinyaga included, MPs would call on a Principal Secretary and force such an officer to transfer or even sack a chief or a civil servant they did not like for their own reasons and I thought being in a new dispensation, this should have been behind us,” he said.

But Ndia MP Stephen Ngari blamed the Asman Kamama-led parliamentary committee for failing to consult upon “realising the nomination of Juma had some contentious issues clearly exposing the prevailing disunity.”

Ngari said once Kamama and his committee realised there were contentious issues which required urgent resolution, he should have consulted Majority Leader Adan Duale in the National Assembly and this would have certainly changed the game.

“Kamama and his vice chair, both of whom are from the Jubilee side, should carry the blame after what happened recently in Parliament for their failure to consult Duale,” Ngari said.

“I do not see any MP from Mt. Kenya region undermining or fighting the President as it is being perceived in some quarters neither do I support groupings since the National Assembly where we make decisions on behalf of the electorate belongs to all Kenyans regardless of political affiliation,” he said.

His Gichugu counterpart Njogu Barua expressed similar sentiments and added that the Kamama committee failed to ascertain beyond reasonable doubt that the nominee was not equal to the task. Barua however assured Kenyans he was in full support of the President and his Deputy William Ruto on all matters that enable them govern the country democratically.