Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro leads the list of MPs allied and sympathetic to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua set to be kicked from the leadership of the National Assembly committees.
This follows the adoption of the list of the newly constituted committee members Wednesday afternoon after a protracted delay.
While a majority of the former DP Gachagua allied MPs have been left in the committees, they were chairs or vice chairs, there is no indication they will lead the committees with House Speaker Moses Wetang’ula indicating that “the chair and vice chair are elected on the dynamics you all know.”
The reconstitution of the House committees seeks to align with the broad-based government that President William Ruto announced to the country after entering into a working arrangement with ODM’s Raila Odinga.
The changes also bring an end to the protracted push and pull between Kenya Kwanza and ODM MPs over who to chair which departmental committees.
“This is a work in progress. Sometimes we lose members to death ... .and others have to come in and replace them,” Speaker Wetang’ula said after some MPs complained that the list was skewed to favoured.
The approval by the House of the new membership of the House committees brings an end to the stalemate that has persisted since February 18, 2025, when Speaker Wetang’ula made a communication to the House announcing the lapsing of some 18 House committees.
Following the approval on Wednesday, the members of the reconstituted committees have seven days to elect their respective chairs and vice chairs.
The Clerk of the National Assembly Mr Samuel Njoroge, on the direction of Speaker Wetang’ula, is on Thursday expected to issue a schedule of meetings of committees to elect the committee leadership.
“Go on and give us the leadership that will help this House. Those to be elected, be the first to create quorum in the House at all times- be the first to arrive in the House and the last to leave,” said Speaker Wetang’ula adding; “to whom more is given, much more is expected.”
The changes are expected to see Mr Odinga’s ODM take the chairmanship of the powerful Budget and Appropriations Committee (BAC) formerly chaired by Mr Nyoro, who has been retained in the committee.
There are also four other departmental committees- Health, Labour, Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, and Regional Integration- whose leadership will be taken over by Mr Odinga.
The budget committee plays a critical role in approving the national budget as it recommends to the National Treasury the allocation of funds for expenditure in a financial year.
The affected Gachagua-allied MPs include Embakasi North’s James Gakuya, who chaired the Trade, Industry and Cooperatives Committee, Runyenjes’ Eric Karemba, who chaired the Labour Committee and Kipiri’s Wanjiku Muhia, who chaired the Regional Integration Committee.
Notably, the only non-Gachagua allied MP who will cede leadership to ODM is Endebess MP Dr Robert Pukose.
The changes are expected to see Mr Odinga allied MPs Samuel Atandi (Alego Usonga) chair BAC and Dr James Nyikal (Seme) tipped to lead the Health Committee with nominated MP Irene Mayaka to replace Ms Muhia at Regional Integration Committee.
Ikolomani MP Bernard Shinali is tipped to replace Mr Gakuya at the Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives committee with Kilifi South MP Ken Chonga to replace Mr Karemba at the Labour Committee.
Standing Order 178 of the National Assembly Standing Orders provides guidance on the leadership of the House Committees for instance, departmental committees elect their chairpersons and vice chairpersons from among their respective members.
This means that any member of the respective departmental committee whether from a parliamentary party forming the government or not, can chair or deputize the committees.
However, the Standing Order is specific on who chairs or deputizes the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), the Public Investments Committees (PICs), and the Committee on Implementation (CoI).
The Standing Order states that members of PAC, PICs, and SFAC shall elect a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson from amongst the members of the committees from a party other than a parliamentary party forming the national government.
It goes on to state that the members of the Special Fund Accounts Committee (SFAC) shall elect a Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson from amongst independent members nominated to the committee or the members of the committee nominated from a party other than a parliamentary party forming the national government.
Mr Nyoro had been considered President Ruto’s “very close” ally immediately the Kenya Kwanza administration assumed power that saw his name mentioned among those likely to be the President’s running mate in the 2027 general elections.
However, his star drastically dimmed after he failed to take a position on the impeachment of DP Gachagua at the time the President needed him most, a middle ground that he still holds to date.
In fact, Mr Nyoro is among the MPs who skipped the House sitting on October 8, 2024, as it voted on the Gachagua impeachment.
The other Gachagua MPs who have also been affected include Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba who has been moved from the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) where she was chairperson to Members Facilities and Services.
Mr Gakuya from Trade, Industry and Cooperatives where he was chairperson to the Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library Committee that rarely sits.
Other Gachagua allies also moved to the broadcasting committee include Edward Muriu (Gatanga) from the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC), Onesmas Ngogoyo (Kajiado North) and Goerge Koimburi (Juja).
Mr Karemba is tipped to replace Ms Wamuchomba as chairperson, CIOC with Mwala MP Vincent Musyoka set to replace David Gikaria (Nakuru Town East) as Environment Committee chairman.
Ms Wamuchomba fell out with President Ruto’s administration in the first year of assuming power and has since been a marked person by those close to the president.
Like Ms Muhia, Ms Wamuchomba was among those who opposed and questioned the impeachment of DP Gachagua.
Mr Gakuya is a key ally of the impeached DP and has on numerous occasions clashed with the authorities leading to his arrests.
Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa, who has been retained in the Transport and Infrastructure Committee where he has been Vice Chairperson, has been categorical that change including reorganization of committees “is inevitable in the spirit of broad-based government.
“The broad-based government that we now have must be reflected within the leadership of the House committees. This is one of the reasons that the committees were reconstituted,” said Mr Barasa.
The committees on budget, energy, transport, housing, and trade are some of the most sought-after committees by members ordinarily at the start of the first session of the House, usually after a general election.
The Kimilili MP revealed that the reconstitution of the House committees was also informed by the National Assembly leadership retreat in Naivasha early this year “that assessed the performance of among others, committees.”
“As part of reengineering the National Assembly to ensure that it delivers services to the people, this change is necessary and as a House, we support it regardless of the casualties,” the Kimilili MP said.
