Wiper Leader Kalonzo Musyoka on Sunday revealed that he had directed his Members of Parliament to reject cabinet secretaries nominees from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party.
He explained that as a member of the Azimio Coalition, ODM had announced that the four cabinet nominees were joining President William Ruto’s government in their individual capacities.
As such, Kalonzo remarked that Wiper would reject the CS nominees during the vetting process as the appointment was unsanctioned by the coalition.
“I have given directions as the party leader to Wiper Members of Parliament that the names of the four people, when brought to parliament for vetting, Wiper members vote No,” Kalonzo directed.
The former vice president who was speaking in his hometown in Kyuso, Mwingi area in Kitui County revealed that he was keen to see how ODM members of parliament would vote.
He explained that although ODM had remarked that they did not sanction the nominations, the truth would be revealed during the vetting exercise.
“ODM is in a big trap now. If they vote yes during vetting, then Kenyans will know they were lying that the members went on their own,” Kalonzo remarked.
He read mischief in the whole process noting that it was not possible for the party to have its top leadership join the government without permission.
Giving examples, he wondered how the two deputy party leaders - Ali Hassan Joho and Wycliffe Oparanya - as well as National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi were nominated to Ruto’s cabinet.
Additionally, Kalonzo felt that he was not respected during the nomination exercise and subsequent events.
“At least I should have been consulted as a leader in our coalition. I did not know,” Kalonzo lamented.
He added that Opiyo Wandayi was chosen by Azimio to be the minority leader and his appointment to cabinet should have been a coalition and not party affair.
The Wiper Party Leader added that should the vetting process be successful, the ODM leaders were doomed to fail.
He wondered how could an ODM member implement policies like the bottom-up economic policies that Azimio had earlier rejected.
