Deputy President William Ruto, ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi and Ford Kenya’s Moses Wetang’ula leaning MPs on Tuesday, January 25, paralysed the business of the National Assembly.
The ‘earthquake’ leaning MPs rejected a procedural motion for the reconstitution of the House Business Committee, which is critical in planning the agenda of the National Assembly.
The rebel MPs ganged up to reject the motion moved by the leader of majority Amos Kimunya ,a move that was never anticipated by the government side whose members were not in National Assembly.
Sirisia MP John Waluke revealed that the move by the ‘earthquake’ lawmakers was pre-planned as a way of showing the government that they have numbers.
“We did this to pay back for the events of the passage of the parties bill and the non-invitation to the State House meeting,” Waluke told journalists.
Speaker of the National Assembly while addressing the parliament noted that the House stands dissolved unless the leadership comes up with a solution.
“As it stands now, the House cannot transact business. My hands are tied. It is now up to the majority and minority leaders of the House to see what to do,” Said the Muturi as he adjourned the sitting of the house.
The bill of such nature once defeated, it cannot be reintroduced to the House until after six months technically meaning it’s until after the August 9 election though the House can use its standing orders to rescue the motion.
The move DP Ruto and his new political allies is a blow to President Uhuru Kenyatta’s legislative agenda
The standoff places the government in a difficult position as it runs the risk of not having a budget for the 2022/2023 financial year.
As it stands the government cannot finance key government operations like paying salaries of government workers, finance election and even it cannot honor the debt obligation.
The list that was rejected by the House consisted of Joyce Emanikor, Shadrack Mose, Kawira Mwangaza, Abdikahim Osman, Makali Mulu, Mishi Mboko, and Godfrey Osotsi.
