National Assembly Majority Leader Amos Kimunya clashed with Minority Leader John Mbadi over the reconstitution of House committees on Thursday, July 2.
Mbadi raised suspicion that allies of Deputy President William Ruto had been sneaked back into powerful committees and their membership could result in coups against proposed new chairs.
ODM is concerned that some of the committees critical to the Building Bridges Initiative could not guarantee the report’s successful adoption in the house.
They include the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee and the Delegated Legislation Committee.
“We were ready with our list to effect the changes, but when we looked at the proposed names to serve in the JLAC and Delegated committees, the two committees that will be processing the BBI report in the house, we realised they included some people who have strongly been opposing the BBI,” Mbadi told journalists.
“We felt that Tanga Tanga MPs could stage a coup and take over the two committees,” the Suba South MP added.
Majority Leader Amos Kimunya was forced to ask the speaker for more time to consult and agree.
He stated that the consultations would take place in the coming week and he would write to the house once a resolution was made.
In Jubilee’s proposed list, Ruto allies who were shed as chairs and vice-chairs of certain committees were assigned other roles in what was seen as a soft landing.
Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa who was chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee was retained as a member while Kieni MP Kanini Kega joined from the Trade and Cooperatives committee which he chaired.
A showdown is expected should Kimani offer himself for election as the chair of the Budget Committee which Kanini wants to head.
Former Majority Leader Aden Duale was not assigned to any committee in the proposed changes.
