National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has finally revealed that Garissa Township MP, Aden Duale was the the person behind his decision to reconvene Parliament after a chaotic session on Tuesday.
Muturi, who had earlier adjourned the session to January 24,2017, stated that a meeting with the National Assembly Majority Leader had prompted the late night change of mind.
"Duale came to my office after we adjourned and we tried to reason together. I remember well because I told him that he was to blame for the whole fiasco because when he rose on the floor, he veered off to discuss CORD leader Raila Odinga to the chagrin of his loyalists in the house," Muturi was quoted by the Standard.
According to the Speaker, Mr Duale had the powers to request for a Special Sitting as the leader of Majority in the August House.
"He apologised and requested that we convene a special sitting next. Under the law, House leader can request for special sitting an as a Speaker I cannot object," the Speaker said
He added that he was not for the idea but after considering that the following week will be in the middle of festivities he shifted his stand.
"I was, however, not for the idea of convening the House next week in the middle of the festivities and with MPS having dispersed to their constitutes," Muturi noted.
Duuring a television interview on Thursday, CORD leader Raila Odinga mentioned that President Uhuru Kenyatta threatened to fire Mr Justin Muturi if he did not reconvene Parliament to pass the controversial amendments to the Election Laws.
"Remember that Parliament had adjourned on Tuesday night at 10 pm and the Speaker himself ruled that the next session would start on January 24, 2017. That night the same Speaker was called by the President and told if he does not reconvene parliament, he was going to be sacked. At midnight he was publishing again another gazette notice to reconvene Parliament," Odinga stated.
However, Mr Muturi dismissed the claims highlighting that: "Those stating I was pressured do not appear to know me well. In fact, they will be surprised to know I am the one who insisted against a popular view among some groups that this is a Bill concerning counties and that it has to go to the Senate for consideration and I just did that today,"
During the Special Sitting, Jubilee leaders passed amendments to the Election Law which will now allow the electoral body to use a manual system of transmitting results and voter identification.
However, the Opposition leaders are against the provision and have since filed a petition seeking to have the court declare the changes null and void.
