Ichung'wah, Wandayi Unite To Impeach UDA MP

National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah and Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi joined forces in surprising fashion on Tuesday, August 1 to remove Kitui East Member of Parliament Nimrod Mbai from the position of the Chairperson of the Public Petitions Committee.

Mbai had failed to appear in the National Assembly to address a petition dealing with the compensation for compulsorily acquired land and properties along the Kibwezi-Kitui road.

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula was also drawn by Mbai's absence and demanded that the House leadership explains how the Kitui East MP failed to attend crucial parliamentary proceedings on several occasions.

Kitui East MP, Nimrod Mbai, during a past press conference. /FILE

“There are so many petitions pending before this committee and if this situation continues, I will ask the Leader of Majority and Minority to consider reconstituting the committee so that it can serve the public. I don’t believe the public is being properly served,” said Wetangula.

Wandayi sided with Wetangula in a rare circumstance regarding the committee and asked Ichung’wah to convene a Legislation Committee to oust Mbai from the position.

”This is a committee that has got the highest number of issues that come to the floor of the house every other day. It’s a committee that should be permanently in the house to deal with these issues that are of concern to the public.

"I am suggesting to Ichung’wah that we move with speed and convene Legislation Committee so that we can deal with the issue comprehensively,” the Ugunja MP urged.

Ichung'wah sided with Wandayi and lamented that Mbai's repeated absence had left the Parliamentary leadership with no option but to take action.

“Any chair who does not take their work seriously, members have the liberty to impeach that chair and elect another chair. I will be very available to ensure that happens,” the Kikuyu MP vowed.

He, however, noted that Baringo Central MP Joshua Kandi, a member of the committee, has been consistent in showing up for the meetings and Turbo MP, Janet Sitienei, who serves as the committee chairperson was admitted at the hospital and could not attend Parliamentary proceedings.

“Remember Majority and Minority leaders, Kenyans come to this house because they have hope that you can resolve their issues. When their petitions come here and queue on end, then we are letting down Kenyans," Wetangula read the riot act to MP Mbai.

The development was viewed as a rare instance since Kimani Ichung'wah and Opiyo Wandayi have not been seeing each other eye to eye ever since their rise to Parliamentary leadership in 2022, mainly due to their affiliations with their respective Party leaders - President William Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga.

Several times have the leaders clashed with each other regarding topics such as the anti-government protests staged by the Azimio Coalition and government policy such as the passage of the Finance Bill.

In fact, the only other recent time Ichung'wah and Wandayi had joined forces was when they were rattled by the actions of Labour Cabinet Secretary (CS) Florence Bore when she on Wednesday, July 5 skipped summons issued by Wetangula on two occasions.