ODM rebels promise battle over Marende's ruling

ODM rebel MPs allied to Eldoret North MP William Ruto have promised to stage a vicious battle to overturn House Speaker Kenneth Marende's ruling on the nominations made by President Kibaki on top constitutional jobs.

Speaking separately across Rift Valley province, the Ruto- allied legislators said they have held consultations and studied precedence within Commonwealth countries where MPs have successfully overturned the ruling of a House Speaker

Konoin MP Julius Kones said Tuesday, when Parliament is set to resume, will be “a day of reckoning.”

“We are now seeing if there are precedents in the Commonwealth countries on such moves against a Speaker of Parliament. We are also studying Parliament's standing orders to get the course of action.”

“Marende should brace himself for a tough battle in the House this week,” warned Cherangany MP Joshua Kutuny separately. Kutuny made the comments while addressing a fundraiser in St Maria Cheptulon Girls’ Secondary School in Marakwet West constituency.

Eldoret North MP William Ruto also accused the speaker of the National Assembly Kenneth Marende of usurping the powers of the three arms of the government.

Speaking in separate functions in the North Rift over the weekend, the MP said the speaker cannot purport to interpret the constitution because that was the work of the constitutional court.

He added that Mr Marende cannot also make a ruling on the four nominations without debate in parliament because that was basically the work of the members of the house.

“This is a recipe for dictatorship because it is not possible that one person decides matters on behalf of parliament without debate”, said Mr Ruto in Eldoret.

He added that the speaker should be ready for a battle on Tuesday when the house resumes.

The MP said the speaker must respect the separation of powers, adding that Marende had taken up the duties of the executive which is supposed to be handled by President Kibaki and Prime Minister Raila Odinga.

“He has taken Kibaki (President) and Odinga’s (Raila) duties of nominating candidates for the positions of Chief Justice, Attorney general,  Director of Prosecutions and Controller of the Budget”, said Mr Ruto at a meeting called to resolve a land stalemate between the military and the Kenya Ordnance Factory Corporation (KOFC).

Mr Ruto at the same time accused Mr Odinga of fighting to have him taken to The Hague by the International Criminal Court.

He insisted that nobody planned the post-election violence and that the Prime Minister was on record as saying that those who caused chaos will cause worse violence if they were not jailed.

He reminded the crowd that they were the ones who supported Mr Odinga during the time but he had now turned against them.