Finance Bill: ODM meets to punish rebel MPs
Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna follows proceedings during a hearing of the Senate Energy committee at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi on Thursday last week.
What you need to know:
- ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna on Sunday said the party’s top organ, the central committee, will meet after the final vote to endorse his proposal to recall the legislators.
- Last week, a number of the lawmakers skipped the voting, with Embakasi North MP James Gakuya, his Embakasi Central counterpart Benjamin Gathiru, alias Mejjadonk, Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina and nominated MP Sabina Chege among those conspicuously missing from Parliament.
The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) top brass will meet this week to initiate the process to recall its members in the National Assembly who supported the controversial Finance Bill, 2024 last week.
ODM Secretary-General Edwin Sifuna on Sunday said the party’s top organ, the central committee, will meet after the final vote to endorse his proposal to recall the legislators.
Mr Sifuna had last Thursday warned ODM lawmakers that they risked expulsion from the party should they support the unpopular Bill. On Sunday, he said the party will use two MPs as an example to others after a recent High Court ruling made it easy to recall rebel party members.
According to a division list provided by Parliament, 13 ODM lawmakers voted in support of the Bill, going against the warning from Mr Sifuna. They included Bondo MP Gideon Ochanda, Garsen’s Guyo Ali Wario, Elisha Odhiambo (Gem), Bernard Shinali (Ikolomani), Memusi Kanchory (Kajiado Central), Christopher Aseka (Khwisero), Oscar Nabulindo (Matungu), Johnson Naicca (Mumias West), and Emmanuel Wangwe (Navakholo). Others were Caroli Omondi (Suba South), Adow Mohamed (Wajir South), Abdikadir Hussein of Lagdera and nominated MP Umulkher Harun Mohammed.
“We have scheduled a meeting for this week to agree on the names as it has to be a decision of the party.
We will meet after the final vote so that we agree on the two names,” said Mr Sifuna. “You just need what we call proof of concept. We need two [errant MPs to make an example out of]; one from a rural constituency and another from urban area. We are going for the notorious ones. This is a proposal from me as the secretary-general of the party. But, if members of the central committee feel that we can do more than two, then that is fine,” he added.
With the Kenya Kwanza government facing mounting pressure from youthful protesters over the Finance Bill 2024, all eyes will be on how MPs allied to Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, who has been at loggerheads with President William Ruto, will vote tomorrow.
Last week, a number of the lawmakers skipped the voting, with Embakasi North MP James Gakuya, his Embakasi Central counterpart Benjamin Gathiru, alias Mejjadonk, Kirinyaga Woman Representative Njeri Maina and nominated MP Sabina Chege among those conspicuously missing from Parliament.
