Uhuru seeks to cut Ruto clout with House leadership shake-up 

President Uhuru Kenyatta is moving to stem dissent in Jubilee Party with a major shake-up expected in the leadership of both the National Assembly and Senate.

The changes are engineered to give the President control of government business in Parliament, previously under Deputy President William Ruto’s allies.

The party is engulfed in a protracted civil war pitting MPs allied to Dr Ruto (Tangatanga) against those allied to Mr Kenyatta (Kieleweke).

The Nation has established that the President is unhappy with some of the House leaders and committee chairs whose public actions and pronouncements have cast them as government critics. He wants them replaced as part of his plan to take control and ensure that government business is not derailed in both chambers.

Cherang’any MP Joshua Kuttuny, a key ally of the President, confirmed on Wednesday that the Kieleweke team has been pushing for the changes as one of the ways of securing the President’s agenda in the House.

“I can confirm that the discussions are at the highest level of the party and that we are at the tail end of ensuring the changes are effected. I can assure you, it is inevitable,” he said.

“It’s long overdue and we are pushing it. You cannot purport to be supporting the President, but also oppose his agenda and undermine him. They should not have it both ways.”

Just to show the matter has been concluded, the MP asked Jubilee Secretary-General Raphael Tuju to bite the bullet “and forward the list to Parliament”.

Fafi MP Abdikarim Osman confirmed the plot. “Yes, yes … yes. We want everybody out,” he said.

“The President is Uhuru Kenyatta and those not happy with him should relinquish their positions and wait until they form their government. For now, it is President Kenyatta and his supporters must take charge of the committees.”

Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa may as well be the first casualty of the shake-up, according to a highly placed source in government.

The MP, who is a dyed-in-wool supporter of the DP, is the chairman of the Budget and Appropriations Committee of the National Assembly, a powerful entity that bears great influence in national budget-making and how public finances are expended.

Parliament’s central role in budget-making is anchored in the 51-member committee, which is mandated to oversee the budget decision-making process from formulation and approval to implementation.

The committee has power to investigate, inquire into and report on all matters related to co-ordination, control and monitoring of the national budget.

It also has powers to examine the Budget Policy Statement presented to the National Assembly, examine bills related to the national budget, including the appropriation bills and evaluate tax estimates, economic budgetary policies and programmes with direct budget outlays, essentially making it a committee of interest to the Executive.

It is on the basis of this that the President feels the committee cannot be left under the leadership of an individual “who has declared war against the President”.

Kipipiri MP Amos Kimunya, who served as Finance minister under retired President Mwai Kibaki, is ahead in the race to replace Mr Ichung’wa.

Others on the chopping board when Parliament resumes on February 11 are National Assembly Majority Whip Benjamin Washiali and his deputy Cecily Mbarire, as well as Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen and Senate Majority Whip Susan Kihika.

Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe is likely to replace Mr Washiali with Murang’a MP Sabina Chege taking over from Ms Mbarire.

While some of his critics have been baying for his blood, Garissa Township MP Aden Duale’s position as the Majority Leader remains safe, even though he is one of the politicians who remain steadfast in their support for Dr Ruto.

The source told the Nation that Mr Duale “has remained respectful to the President” in his support for the DP and that “he has done a fantastic job” in pushing government business in the House.

Ms Mbarire had been one of the President’s loyal supporters until late last year when she pulled back to join the pro-Ruto camp on the grounds that the ground was hostile to the President.

Uasin Gishu Senator Margaret Kamar was last evening being mentioned as the one who will replace Mr Murkomen, much as it was not clear who will replace Ms Kihika, whose fallout with the President is all but confirmed.

While the removal of committee chairs could be a walk in the park for the President’s men, the removal of House leaders could pose some legal hurdles that, if poorly handled, could backfire.

The removal of the chair of a committee is the mandate of the members of the committee, who can simply impeach such a chair.

However, in the case of House leaders, the process is elaborate. First before any of the Speakers approves the removal of such officials, proof of Jubilee Parliamentary Group meeting will be mandatory. Besides, the notice for such a meeting will have to be provided alongside a list of the MPs who attended, the minutes of the meeting, and the resolutions.​