National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah and Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi surprisingly teamed up during the parliamentary session on August 1 to suggest that Kitui East MP Nimrod Mbai be removed from his position as Chairperson of the Public Petitions Committee.
Mbai was expected to address a petition concerning compensation for land and property acquired by the government along the Kibwezi-Kitui road, but his absence caught the attention of Speaker Moses Wetangula. Wetangula expressed concern over the high number of unattended issues by the committee and directly tied it to Mbai’s continuous absence from parliamentary sessions. Ichung’wah agreed, stating that Mbai had left Parliament with no other choice but to act decisively.
“There has been perpetual absence from the House of the leadership of Committee of Public Petitions. It has now gone beyond leadership, even the members have started being absent. I am suggesting to Ichung’wah that we move with speed and convene the Legislation Committee so that we can deal with the issue comprehensively,” Wandayi addressed the Speaker.
Wetang’ula regretted Mbai’s letdown of the Kenyan people and called for accountability. According to Ichung’wah, only Baringo Central MP Joshua Kandi has been consistently showing up to meetings. The development is quite strange as Kimani Ichung’wah and Opiyo Wandayi have been in conflict since they became Parliamentary leaders in 2022, owing to their allegiance to their Party leaders – President William Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga. The two leaders have had a continuous disagreement over the government’s policies, including the passing of the Finance Bill and the anti-government protests organized by the Azimio Coalition.
