Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leader Raila Odinga on Tuesday, May 26, met firebrand Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina in a private meeting that included other leaders from the Maasai community.
The meeting came days after Ledama declared his loyalty to ODM on the floor of the Senate, during the removal of former Senate Deputy Speaker Kithure Kindiki, following a publicised squabble over his removal as Chairman of the Senate Public Accounts and Investment Committee.
Following the meeting, Raila announced that Ledama had agreed to withdraw the case he filed against the party terming his removal as unlawful.
In a show of restored relations, Raila further stated that he had directed ODM to reverse the decision to de-whip Ledama in the Senate.
"Senator Ledama Ole Kina has this morning agreed to withdraw the case he had filed against the ODM party over the Senate Public Accounts Committee chairmanship, surrendered the seat and apologized. In return I’ve instructed the party to reverse the decision to dewhip the Senator," Raila tweeted.
Ledama will now be able to sit on the two committees he sat on before the de-whipping but will not regain the Chair position.
Ledama had been accused of colluding with Jubilee Senators to clinch the committee chair's position instead of the party's chair designate, Professor Sam Ongeri.
The powerful watchdog committee is responsible for the oversight of county governments, and was previously chaired by Homa Bay Senator TJ Kajwang', with the position reserved for Minority Senators.
Ledama had sparked a storm after Senate Minority Leader James Orengo wrote to the Speaker informing him of Ledama's removal.
He earned unlikely support from allies of Deputy President William Ruto including then-Senate Majority Leader, Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen, who promised to initiate a push to have any Senator regardless of party allowed to chair the committee.
Ledama had maintained that powerful individuals did not want him in the position as he would not shy away from putting governors on the spot over graft and mismanagement of public resources.
He further alluded to the battle pitting him against the likes of Orengo and Ongeri as a generational battle, asserting that he was determined to fight for his space.
In addition, Ledama pointed to his spirited defence of issues affecting the Maa community as one of the reasons behind his removal.
With the meeting with Raila, however, the Senate is firmly back in the ODM fold and is expected to play a key role in the party's larger objectives.
"I stand here to say that I am fully loyal to my party ODM. I have been a loyal member of that party and my party leader has been informed by other squatters (I call them that because they are people who do not even have homes) that I was disloyal to the party. That is not true," Ledama stated in the Senate on May 22.
