Reprieve for Nasa MPs kicked out from House committees

Nasa is considering pardoning the nine MPs it had discharged from committees in the National Assembly over disciplinary issues after receiving appeals from them.

Initially, the coalition had said the MPs would be out in the cold for six months pending a disciplinary committee hearing. But things appear to have changed.

The Nation has established that the legislators reached out to the Nasa leadership in the House through written apologies while others used third parties to argue their cases.

On Monday, National Assembly Minority Leader John Mbadi (Suba South) confirmed to the Nation that the coalition is in the process of listening to the nine MPs with the possibility of reinstating them to the committees.

AXE FELL

However, Mr Mbadi noted that they may not necessarily get back to the committees they belonged to before the axe fell on them because of the ongoing reorganisation of House committees.

“As Nasa coalition, we are not vindictive. A majority of them (the MPs) have reached out to us, but we haven’t made the decision yet,” Mr Mbadi said.

The MPs were kicked out on May 28 by a resolution of the Nasa Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting after a series of warnings that they desist from openly advancing Deputy President William Ruto’s 2022 presidential bid, which is against the wish of Nasa.

The MPs were discharged from the committees after being given an opportunity to be heard in accordance with Standing Order 176 of the National Assembly.

The PG meeting attracted the coalition’s best attendance ever in the recent past, with 108 of the 135 Nasa MPs drawn from all the coalition partners in the House —ODM, Wiper, ANC and Ford Kenya — attending and passing a unanimous resolution to vote out disloyalty.

At the time, Mr Mbadi did not hide the fact that Nasa’s main intention “was to get the naysayers out of the way ahead of the release of the BBI report due anytime from now”.

POLITICAL JOKE

“If it is established that their reasons merit, then we shall definitely look into that. But their reasons must be so compelling so that it doesn’t reduce the whole thing into a political joke,” he said.

MPs Silvanus Osoro (South Mugirango, KNC), who was kicked out from Agriculture Committee and Committee on Implementation, and Mr John Lodepe (Turkana Central, ODM) from Defence and Foreign Relations, are among those who have apologised. West Mugirango MP Vincent Kemosi (ODM), who was axed from Transport as well as Powers and Privileges committee, Paul Kahindi (Kaloleni, ODM) from Public Investments (PIC) and Twalib Bady (Jomvu, ODM) from Budget and Appropriations have also filed apologies.

Butere MP Tindi Mwale (ANC) has also apologised and wants to be reinstated. He was kicked out from Energy Committee on Selection.

It was not clear whether Ms Catherine Wambilianga (Bungoma Woman Rep- Ford Kenya, who was kicked out of Labour Committee on Selection had filed a formal apology.

The removal of Ugenya MP David Ochieng (Movement for Democracy and Growth) from Health Committee was, however, rescinded by Speaker Justin Muturi on grounds that he is a member of a party that is not parliamentary, and therefore not affiliated to Nasa. The coalition was thus not obligated to de-whip him.

The Speaker intervened after Mr Ochieng’ petitioned him on whether Nasa was right to de-whip him yet he is not affiliated to the coalition.

It is not clear whether Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa, the face of DP Ruto’s campaign for the 2022 presidential bid at the Coastal region, will be given back her committee slot despite Nasa’s push to have her ejected from the Parliamentary Service Commission.