MPs to elect new teams in key House leadership changes

kega
kega

What you need to know:

  • National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi directed that the elections be completed by Friday.
  • Seven committees are scheduled to hold elections Thursday, according to the timetable released Wednesday.

MPs are today (Thursday) set to start electing chairpersons of various House departmental committees following the de-whipping of DP William Ruto allies.

The House, in a special sitting yesterday, approved the new list with the DP’s allies relegated to less lucrative committees.

The passage of the new committee composition now paves the way for elections in which ODM members are envisaged to take up leadership posts in various committees thanks to the handshake between President Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga.

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi directed that the elections be completed by Friday ahead of the fumigation of the chambers by Ministry of Health officials on Saturday.

Seven committees are scheduled to hold elections Thursday, according to the timetable released Wednesday by the Office of the Director of Committee Services.

COMMITTEES

The seven committees are Agriculture and Livestock, Education, Justice and Legal Affairs, Labour and Social Welfare, Trade and Industry, Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library and the Delegated Legislations.

Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga is poised to chair the Finance and Planning committee, while her Busia counterpart Florence Mutua is seeking to be the next Education committee head with Nyeri Town MP Ngunjiri Wambugu as her deputy.

Kangema MP Muturi Kigano is seeking to head the Justice and Legal Affairs committee, while Rarieda MP Otiende will take the vice-chairman post.

Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma is likely to be the next vice-chairperson of the Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee.

At the same time, Kanu lawmaker William Kamket is poised to take over as chairperson of the Delegated Legislations committee, with Mbeere North MP Muriuki Njagagua as deputy.

BUDGET COMMITTEE

Kieni MP Kanini Kega is set to chair the powerful Budget and Appropriation committee left vacant after Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wah was de-whipped.

Limuru MP Peter Mwathi is seeking to be the next chairperson of Labour committee. He will be deputised by Chepalungu MP Gideon Kimutai Koske.

Wipers’ Patrick Makau is set to be the next Sports and Culture committee chairperson.

Majority Leader Amos Kimunya said all House committees have important roles to play.

He asked members willing to vie for any committee position to consult with both the majority and minority whips.

Mr Kimunya told the MPs to seek guidance from the respective whips “to advise you whether you are a viable candidate because you might end up spending a lot of resources for nothing.”

He, however, warned MPs against skipping committee meetings, saying those who will not show commitment would be de-whipped again.

“I will personally monitor the attendance of the committee meetings, and if a member misses four sittings, then we still have the template of the de-whipping letter and we will only change the date,” Mr Kimunya warned.