Opposition side in Parliament may soon be a pale shadow of what it used to be, after President Ruto raided Jubilee Party.
In the current state of affairs, the President had succeeded in wooing many leaders that were hitherto allied to either (ODM) Orange Democratic Movement Party, or the former ruling party, Jubilee.
The latest move to weaken the opposition is his move to retain membership of a powerful committee that schedules parliamentary business, to remain as it was in the previous parliament – but the President had already wooed some Minority side members who sit in the team as representatives, hence bolstering the numbers of members allied to his ruling coalition.
And the Registrar of Political Parties, Ann Nderitu, yesterday confirmed a meeting by a splinter group of Jubilee Party, which has allied itself with the President, was convened properly – effectively endorsing the President’s ‘coup’ against critics of Kenya Kwanza administration, which included secretary-general Jeremiah Kioni and vice chairman David Murathe. The membership of House Business Committee (HBC) included Eldas Member of Parliament Aden Keynan, a stalwart in Jubilee Party, and and his Laikipia North counterpart Sarah Korere, also from the Jubilee Party, who have all expressed their allegiance to the ruling Kenya Kwanza government.
The first people to jump from the opposition were Ugenya Member of Parliament David Ochieng, who had shifted his allegiance to Ruto even before the Supreme Court made a determination on the case filed by the Azimio coalition protesting the outcome of last year’s presidential election. From there, President Ruto has continued to raid the opposition, with recent move which saw him raid ODM, and went away with nine Members of Parliament from Luo Nyanza, Raila’s perceived ‘political bedroom’.
Before the ink would dry, President Ruto raided Jubilee Party, which would later congregated to send away Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni and Vice Chairman David Murathe. To make matters worse for the Azimio coalition, and Jubilee Party in particular, East African Legislative Assembly MP Kanini Kega, Eldas MP Adan Keynan and his Kitui South counterpart Rachel Nyamai were picked as acting secretary-general, vice chairman and national treasurer, respectively.
In response to Jubilee’s resolutions, Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu had so far said the Jubilee’s National Executive Council (NEC) was properly constituted, which means that those who were appointed in acting capacity will take over officially.
