Sacked Makueni Majority Leader Francis Mutuku has apologised to Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka for going against the party regulations. Last week Wiper de-whipped two majority leaders from Makueni and Machakos counties for participating in the impeachment of Governor Kivutha Kibwana and Machakos deputy governor Bernard Kiala. Addressing the media in his office, Mr Mutuku welcomed the move by Kalonzo but stated that he regretted having gone against the party. “I have no problem with the party. I accept my mistakes and I urge the party leader to accept my apology and retain me,” said Mutuku. Mr Mutuku said that the infighting in Wiper was weakening it and blamed outside forces for allegedly causing division in the party. He said that Wiper had no wrangles as the party had its strongholds in the county.
BACKED LEADER
A section of Wiper MCAs backed their majority leader stating that the party leader had harshly punished him and he should reconsider the decision made by the Wiper National Executive Council. The 12 MCAs led by Jackson Ngovi of Kiteta/Kisau Ward have apologised to Mr Musyoka for what they termed as embarrassing the party.
“We urge Mr Musyoka to forgive the majority leader and restore his party candidature as we promise to abide to the party regulations,” said Mr Ngovi. The MCAs also said they regretted any embarrassment they might have caused the party during and after the impeachment of Governor Kivutha Kibwana. Mr Ngovi urged Mr Musyoka to reconsider the suspension of Mr Mutuku, terming him as a strong supporter of Wiper.
“Mr Musyoka should reconsider and retain our majority leader who is a strong supporter of Wiper party,” said Mr Ngovi. He said that the MCAs respected the party leader and his leadership in the party. - Nation
Cord leaders have been accused of insincerity and driving selfish political agenda in their attempts to correct the Jubilee Government. Kiambu Senator Kimani Wamatangi on Monday told Cord to exercise its role as the official opposition and avoid negative politics.
Mr Wamatangi, who was speaking in Ruiru, claimed that the opposition engaged in bad politics to remain relevant, regretting that Cord was obstructing the government from carrying out its functions.
RAILWAY AND TITLES
The opposition, he said, should challenge the government and offer alternatives on national issues using constitutionally-created institutions. “The moment they attempt to go beyond or come up with strategies which obstruct the government from performing its duties, then that is not opposition.”
The senator cited the standard gauge railway, the issuance of title deeds to squatters and other projects which, he said, were unfairly criticised by Cord leaders. He noted that although the role of the opposition was to watch over the government, it also had the obligation of supporting the government to ensure quality services were delivered to all citizens.-Nation
Personal ambition as well as the fear that Cord might disintegrate should former Prime Minister Raila Odinga be the coalition’s presidential torchbearer are among reasons some MPs from Nyanza are increasingly feeling Mr Odinga should call it a day, the Sunday Nation has established.
It is a rather audacious decision by the lawmakers, some who are said to be Mr Odinga’s closest associates. None of the lawmakers is, however, bold enough to tell Mr Odinga to his face about what to them is “the reality of the time” and have opted to use their colleagues from outside Luo. The MPs are said to have met at Kitutu Chache South MP Richard Onyonka’s home in Nairobi a fortnight ago when Mr Odinga was in the US and asked him to be their spokesperson.
The reasoning is that coming from Gusiiland, a region that is a bit liberal in terms of political party membership, the repercussions might not be as dire compared to what could befall an MP from Mr Odinga’s backyard. A source who attended the meeting confided that there were more than 20 MPs at the meeting.
Mr Onyonka said early last week that the best chance Cord has of forming a government is for Mr Odinga to sacrifice his bid and support another candidate within the coalition — probably one of his co-principals. Both Moses Wetang’ula (Ford Kenya) and Kalonzo Musyoka (Wiper) have been categorical that they will each lead Cord to win presidential polls in 2017. That assertion signals tough times ahead for the coalition and the MPs fear that, in case none of this happens, Cord will disintegrate.
We also established that most of the MPs see Mr Odinga as an impediment to their political ambitions and, given the fact that most of them have ridden on his name to build their political careers, it would be a tall order to stage a face-off with him in the classical meaning of “outdoing the master”.
The MPs are said to be persuaded that because Mr Odinga has made three unsuccessful stabs at the presidency, this could be an opportunity to soberly reflect on his realistic chances of winning a General Election.
Stating that he was not aware of the meeting, Nyakach MP Aduma Owuor admitted there is indeed such a feeling among some MPs but said it may not be a reflection of the popular will. “This is a feeling of some lawmakers but again you must acknowledge that this is not the feeling of the people. Mr Odinga still wields immense power here and even beyond and whoever is thinking of that is off to a steep political cliff,” he said.
Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi said the MPs were working with “enemies of Cord” to pursue their agenda. “We are very much aware of the forces that are pushing this agenda at this particular time. It’s a convergence of interests between our adversaries who would want to foment trouble in Cord, on one hand, and a handful of Luo legislators with ambitions to succeed the former PM on the other,” said Mr Wandayi.
Asking them to declare to ODM supporters the individual they have in mind to succeed Mr Odinga, Mr Wandayi said they would unmask those behind the “premature” push at an opportune time.
MOLE WITHIN THE COALITION
Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar (Wiper) accuses Onyonka of being “a mole” within the coalition.
“His utterances about the Cord leader are suspect because he is playing a hidden agenda for his well-known masters,” he said adding that his Wiper party leader intended to run for the presidential seat. Contacted, Mr Onyonka maintained his stance saying: “By telling our party leader Odinga to step aside does not mean I am against him. I’m just being realistic; he has made stabs for the presidency without success.”
In the run-up to the botched February 28 ODM elections, a group of youthful MPs revolving around Kisumu Central MP Ken Obura came out openly to advocate what they referred to as “the need for fresh blood to revitalise ODM” ahead of the 2017 polls. They were accused of being over-ambitious.
Suna East MP Junet Mohammed has castigated attempts to replace Mr Odinga, saying the persons pushing for such an agenda are “day-dreaming”.
The politics of succession has equally been resisted by Nyando MP Fred Outa, who has warned that the re-emergence of such calls was diversionary.
nation
Musalia Mudavadi remains the party leader, with former Kieni MP Jeremiah Kioni as his deputy. The delegates also unanimously agreed to rebrand the party to Amani National Congress. The delegates were forced to invoke the party's constitution to call the meeting after some officials went to court to block an NDC that should have been held last Friday.
Mr Mudavadi was embroiled in a duel with Mr Osman, who was fighting his suspension. Mr Osman has been suspended on allegations of gross misconduct. Mr Osman moved to the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal to challenge his suspension. He sought a moratorium on all party activities pending determination of the matter. The Registrar of Political Parties, Ms Lucy Ndung’u, on Sunday said political parties could use Article 103 of the Constitution and Section 14 of the Political Parties Act to expel MPs, MCAs and party officials.
Ms Ndung’u said that once the internal party mechanisms had been used and her office notified, it only takes a few days for the decision to be upheld. “Political parties can expel their members according to the laid-down procedure. They have their own internal mechanisms in their constitutions through which they can notify us,” she said by phone. Once this is done, such elected leaders lose their membership in the party and, in effect, cease to hold their elective positions.
