Gachagua's allies unbothered by plans to remove them from House Committees

The allies of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua who are facing removal from various parliamentary committees are not perturbed by the plans to axe them following their close association with the politician who has turned out to be the government's biggest critic.

Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu, a close associate of Gachagua and also a critic of the government, told The Eastleigh Voice that he is unbothered by plans to have him be ejected as Chairperson of the Senate Education Committee.

"I'm elected as Senator for Murang'a. My primary responsibility is to represent Murang'a. The seat of the Chairperson is secondary. If they decide to take it, I will walk with my head high," said Nyutu.

He pointed fingers at the leadership of the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party for engineering attempts to have them removed from the Committees. "It's not a surprise...that's the leadership of our party, headed by someone who takes nothing but praise. We will not join the choir," he said.

Nyutu's bucket of cold water on the reports of his removal plans comes even as President William Ruto and opposition chief Raila Odinga-allied lawmakers are said to be plotting radical changes in leadership and membership of parliamentary committees.

Gachagua's allies, chairpersons, vice chairpersons and absentee members are among those targeted in the looming purge.

Also set to face the axe and are set for replacements are chairs, vice chairs and members of the powerful watchdog committees, who are allowed by the House rules to serve for a maximum of two sessions.

The changes are expected to happen as soon as the two houses – the Senate and the National Assembly – resume their regular sittings on February 11.

Targeted

In the Senate, at least five Gachagua allies chairing crucial committees are facing the axe as Ruto and Raila move to stamp authority.

They include Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang'wa, who chairs the Roads and Transportation Committee and Murang'a Senator Joe Nyutu, who chairs the Education Committee.

Others are Nyandarua Senator John Methu, who is in charge of the Lands and Environment Committee, Kajiado Senator Seki Kanar (Trade and Industrialisation) and Kirinyaga Senator James Murang'o, who chairs the Agriculture Committee.

There are 18 sessional committees in the National Assembly and three in the Senate whose leadership and membership are set for overhaul.

"I want hereby to direct the majority leader and minority leader to move in earnest and reconstitute the 18 committees whose lives have come to an end with the last session," National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula said.

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He directed the leaders to finish with the reconstitution of the panels and submit the final line-up to the House Business Committee for approval. He spoke during a retreat with the MPs in Naivasha last week, However, The Star has established that the purge will happen in most, if not all, committees.

Senate Deputy Minority Whip Edwin Sifuna revealed that the changes will be effected in dormant committees.

"I think there is a desire to overhaul all the committees, by many accounts some of those committees have lost steam and some have become dormant so we will have a conversation as leadership," Sifuna said.

The Eastleigh Voice established that Ruto's Kenya Kwanza Coalition and Orange Democratic Party (ODM) will hold parliamentary group meetings that will, among others, ratify the changes.

Last year, Kenya Kwanza shelved its planned removal of Gachagua's allies from the leadership of the panels due to perceived political considerations.

"Ordinarily, in Parliament, there is always a review midterm whether committees are functioning properly and whether indeed the leadership of those committees are also serving the greater interest of the country," said National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wa.

However, with the terms of members of committees coming to an end and riding on the urge to review the performance of the panels, Ruto could leverage the development to remove Gachagua's troops.

The development comes even as it emerged that most committees have pending businesses among them bills, statements and petitions.

For instance, at least 200 legislative proposals are pending before the National Assembly departmental committees.

"I want to take this opportunity to urge chairpersons of the committees to expedite the process of dealing with the legislative proposals drafted by members and pending on their in-trays," said National Assembly clerk Samuel Njoroge.