A section of members of parliament affiliated with the Jubilee Party on Thursday, November 10, threatened to decamp from the Azimio coalition citing contempt from the Orange Democratic Party.
The lawmakers led by Nominated MP Sabina Chege stated that Jubilee got the short end of the stick in the sharing of Parliamentary Service Commission slots available for the opposition faction.
She protested a last-minute decision to alter the list of nominees to the Parliamentary Service Commission which saw Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo of Jubilee axed and replaced by Nyamira Senator Okong’o Omogeni of ODM.
"The decision taken by the Senate, therefore, negates the democratic space of political parties in Parliament as the net effect of the decision taken by the Senate rendered two slots to the Orange Democratic Movement Party,” Sabina Chege stated during a press conference.
According to Chege, Azimio la Umoja was given three slots in the powerful commission. The three slots, she stated, were to be allocated to each of the major parties in the coalition namely ODM, Wiper Democratic Movement and Jubilee.
Likoni MP Mishi Mboko was selected to represent ODM while Mavoko legislator Patrick Makau was nominated to represent Wiper.
The remaining one, according to the former Murang’a Woman Representative was designated for the Jubilee Party.
Eldas MP Adan Keynan, who was also jostling for a slot as a commissioner noted that ODM had exhibited disregard towards Jubilee despite being the second-largest party in Azimio.
“What is perturbing is not who seat in PSC but we are entitled to have a representative in the commission.
We are the second biggest party in Azimio and this is not a favour, it’s our right. We are not going to be flowers girls or boys for anybody,” Keynan stated.
Notably, the Jubilee Party had initially nominated incarcerated Sirisia MP John Waluke to the PSC.
However, ODM replaced Waluke's name in the list forwarded to both houses of parliament. Reconsideration by the faction's leadership culminated in the nomination of Dullo's name.
The members affirmed the need to convene a crisis meeting promptly between the signatory parties of the Azimio Coalition.
