Opiyo Wandayi elected PAC chairman, Jessica Mbalu deputy

What you need to know:

  • Mr Wandayi garnered 15 votes out of the 18 cast by MPs, defeating his main challenger, Nambale MP Sakwa Bunyasi.
  • Kibwezi East MP Jessica Mbalu was elected as the committee’s vice chairperson after garnering 11 votes.

Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi of ODM was on Monday elected as the chairman of the powerful parliamentary Public Accounts Committee.

The move, however, was not well received by Amani National Congress (ANC) – their colleagues in Nasa – who said they had been shortchanged by ODM.

Mr Wandayi, who is serving his second term as MP, garnered 15 votes out of the 18 cast by MPs, defeating his main challenger, Nambale MP Sakwa Bunyasi.

CORRUPTION
Kibwezi East MP Jessica Mbalu was elected as the committee’s vice chairperson after garnering 11 votes.

She trounced her competitors – Busia woman representative Florence Mutua and Tongaren MP Eseli Simiyu — who received five and two votes respectively.

While giving his acceptance speech, Mr Wandayi said he will be guided by public interest in every matter and will not be driven by witch hunt.

The Ugunja MP said his main mission was to bring back sanity to the powerful watchdog committee that has previously been riddled with corruption allegations.

“I want to assure Kenyans that this committee will not let them down and will serve their interest. The committee is made up of members with high integrity and we will conduct our duty without fear or favour,” he said.

“This is a very important committee in terms of holding the government to account. We already have our work cut out and we must now get down to business,” he added.

NASA
Mr Wandayi, who missed on the House leadership slot due to regional balance, urged the committee members not to be divided along party lines.

Sources told the Nation that Jubilee MPs had earlier on been whipped to vote for Mr Bunyasi as he was seen as more moderate than Mr Wandayi.

Immediately after the election, several ANC members expressed their dissatisfaction with the process, saying the seat was to go to Mr Bunyasi and not ODM.

Lugari MP Ayub Savula termed the win by an ODM leader the greatest deceit.

“We are not seeing the spirit of a coalition from our friends in ODM. Nasa is the brainchild of ANC and we will run away with it if ODM MPs cannot respect us,” Mr Savula said.

“Every time we talk about being shortchanged in Nasa, we are labelled as Jubilee sympathisers. We have complained to our party leader Musalia Mudavadi and he keeps telling us that he will address it.”

LOBBYING
A Jubilee MP faulted Mr Bunyasi for failing to lobby for the post, “thinking that the seat will be handed over to him on a silver platter”.

“Mr Wandayi personally approached me and appealed to my conscious and I gave him my vote,” the first term MP, who did not wish to be named, said.

Mr Bunyasi did not comment about the alleged deal between ANC and ODM.

“As one of the candidates, it’s easy to complain but I wish the new chairman well,” he said.

FAIR WIN
Ms Mutua, however, dismissed allegations that ODM shortchanged ANC in the elections.

Minority Whip and Suna East MP Junet Mohammed said nobody was influenced on their decision and that Jubilee MPs were not happy with the choice of Mr Bunyasi.

“MPs decided Mr Wandayi is best suited to lead them,” he said.

Kajiado South MP Katoo ole Metito was also elected unopposed as the chairman of the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee.

He will be deputised by Richard Tongi (Nyaribari Chache).