MPs reject House report on hotel sale

The government on Thursday scored a major victory, when it marshalled MPs support to reject a parliamentary committee report on the controversial sale of the Grand Regency Hotel.

This came shortly after the government side succeeded in amending a motion to prevent former Finance Minister Amos Kimunya from being reprimanded by the House.

Public standing

By throwing out the report, the MPs ensured that Mr Kimunya’s public standing remained since the recommendation that he was unfit to hold a ministerial position was also purged.

Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, who on Thursday arrived in the country after attending a food security conference in Madrid, Spain, led MPs allied to the government in throwing out the report prepared by the House Committee on Finance chaired by Nambale MP Chris Okemo (ODM).

On Thursday, the government side garnered 63 votes against the opposition’s 32 during the vote sparking a massive walk out by the losers.

Before the votes were cast, there was intense lobbying by both sides of the House. The amendment was moved by assistant minister Robinson Githae.