Wetang’ula on Azimio radar in wrangle over deputy minority leader Sabina Chege's ouster

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula is again on the radar of the Azimio la Umoja coalition on how he will handle the ouster bid of deputy minority whip Sabina Chege.

After the first incident where Mr Wetang’ula ruled in favour of Kenya Kwanza in the tussle on which coalition is the majority in the House, Mr Wetang’ula once again has a critical decision to make as Azimio seeks to drop Ms Chege from her leadership position.

On the ruling on the majority side, Azimio accused the Speaker of “forcefully” transferring members of the coalition to the Kenya Kwanza side to give the ruling coalition an upper hand.

This time around, Azimio is protesting the subjecting to debate a letter by its minority leader seeking to remove Ms Chege from the deputy minority whip position instead of acting on it as envisioned in Standing Orders.

In the letter, Mr Wandayi referred to the coalition’s parliamentary group meeting held last week in Maanzoni that decided to replace Ms Chege. He, however, did not indicate who should replace her.

However, Mr Wetang’ula argued that he had delayed effecting the changes because he has been receiving several letters from Nakuru West MP Samuel Arama and Jubilee Secretary-General Jeremiah Kioni saying Jubilee is a parliamentary party that should be given its rights.

In light of the letters, Mr Wetang’ula said he would make his decision soon and opened the matter for debate amid protests from the Azimio MPs who questioned the motive of the decision.

“I will bring a reasonable ruling on the matter very soon that will give direction and assist this House,” said Mr Wetang’ula.

University of Nairobi don Samuel Mbutu said the Speaker is a man walking a tightrope.

On the one hand, he said, Mr Wetang’ula has to please his side of the coalition, which is rooting for the retention of Ms Chege.

On the other hand, he said, the Speaker is in a situation that forces him to remember what happened to him in the previous Senate where he was ousted as a Minority Leader by the National Super Alliance.

“He may be tempted to use this occasion as payback time to his alleged political tormentors. On the other hand, he has to act as an impartial Speaker who is above party or coalition politics. He is supposed to make a ruling in an objective manner after looking at the facts presented before him by both the majority and the minority side,” said Dr Mbutu.

Mr Wetang’ula finds himself in the same position as his Senate counterpart Amason Kingi, who was faced with the decision of effecting changes after the Azimio coalition de-whipped Fatumo Dulo as its minority  whip.

Despite Mr Kingi’s delay in effecting the changes, he succumbed to pressure piled by Azimio senators and eventually announced the changes.

Just like in the Senate, in the National Assembly, a section of Jubilee MPs have opposed the changes being fronted by Mr Wandayi, saying the party was not invited to the meeting that arrived at the decision.

Jubilee MPs led by Aden Keynan (Eldas), Amos Mwago (Starehe) and Rachael Nyamai (Kitui South) defended Ms Chege and urged the Speaker to dismiss the letter.

“This purported letter is malicious, unconstitutional and inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution. We are here by right and will not be intimidated and we are not part of that decision,” said Mr Keynan.

Mr Mwago said Jubilee delivered to Azimio during last year’s General Election and therefore deserved the position.

“I want to stand with Sabina Chege. We have been in this Azimio for too long and have been suffocated for too long. We need our rights as a parliamentary party,” he said.

In the Senate last month when the tussle on changes was going on, Garissa Senator Abdul Haji — the Jubilee Party organising secretary — opposed the changes because Jubilee had not formally exercised its right to exit Azimio.

In the letter to Mr Kingi, Mr Haji said Jubilee Party was not aware of the Azimio parliamentary group meeting that de-whipped Ms Dulo as the party did not participate in it as it still had confidence in the leadership of Ms Dullo.

Ms Chege said she was shocked by the letter from Mr Wandayi. She noted that Jubilee was not invited to the parliamentary group meeting and that she was not consulted before the decision was made.

She termed the decision to remove her as intimidation from the Azimio coalition partners and urged Mr Wetang’ula to disregard the letter.

“I’m a member of the Jubilee Party. I have not been called to any PG nor have our coalition partners called for any meeting. This position is not Sabina’s but Jubilee’s; so we need to be consulted. We will not allow this harassment and intimidation from our coalition partners,” said Ms Chege.

However, Mr Wandayi told the speaker that according to the Standing Orders, he is supposed to announce the changes upon receipt of the letter from the minority leader.

Mr Wandayi said there is already a precedent in the senate on the removal of Dulo saying even if someone goes to the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal, the decision of the Azimio parliamentary Group meeting will take precedence.

Standing Orders 20 a (4) says: “A decision of a Parliamentary party replacing its whip or deputy whip shall be communicated to the Speaker in writing by the leader of the Majority Party on behalf of the Majority Party or the Leader of the Minority Party on behalf of the Minority Party.”

Upon receipt of the letter, the orders say, the Speaker shall “as soon as practicable” convey the information to the House if the House is sitting or notify members if the House is not sitting.

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