• Mbadi said he should have been given the reasons it was felt he was not fitting the bill, saying the move has made him doubt his performance in the last Parliament.
• The Nominated MP says the decision is tricky for the coalition's unity quest.
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
ODM chairman John Mbadi has opposed the new parliamentary leadership appointed by the Azimio la Umoja coalition party over the weekend.
The party settled on Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi to lead its troops in Parliament deputised by Wiper’s Robert Mbui, after a meeting of its members.
Suna East MP Junet Mohammed will be the coalition’s chief whip, deputised by nominated MP Sabina Chege. Junet held the same post in the twelfth Parliament.
At the Senate, Azimio fronted Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo as leader of minority, to be deputised by his Kitui counterpart Enoch Wambua.
Isiolo’s Fatuma Dullo will be the chief minority whip assisted by Nairobi’s Edwin Sifuna, who is also the ODM secretary general.
But the appointments have rubbed persons who had laid stake in the posts the wrong way, with Mbadi lamenting it would have been better if a vote was taken.
Azimio principals Raila Odinga, Kalonzo Musyoka and Martha Karua read out those nominated to the leadership team after members failed to agree.
Mbadi told the Star when contacted for comment on the imminent implosion in Azimio, that he was not the only one hurt by the choices.
“There are others whom they have hurt in other ways. It is not about me, but about whether the leadership inspires confidence. Why did they reject a vote? It is because they knew where the vote was going,” he said.
The nominated MP said he should have been given the reasons it was felt he was not fitting the bill, saying the move has made him doubt his performance in the last Parliament.
This, he said, follows the fact that he served with Mbui and Junet who have been retained at their previous posts.
Mbadi also dismissed the assertion that the fact he is a nominated member, hence has no elected constituency, could have informed his rejection.
He cited the case of Sabina Chege who has since taken over the post, which was held by former Tongaren MP Eseli Simiyu.
“If I didn’t do a good job in the twelfth Parliament, or if I didn’t have a constituency, it was the members to say so. Who is to be led? Isn’t it the members?” Mbadi said.
“Are they telling me there is nothing I should do in that Parliament because I am representing nobody?” the lawmaker protested, promising to issue a statement on his next move.
Mbadi accused his competitors in the race of arm-twisting the party leader to shun calls for a vote on the post, which comes with lucrative perks.
The ODM chairman ran against Wandayi and Junet for the seat, who he has said he holds no grudges against after their appointment.
A lawmaker from lower Eastern who was part of the meeting said most members wanted a vote between the three.
“Mbadi was a favourite of many MPs. Much as these were the wishes of the party leader, we feel there was the need for a vote to decide the leader,” the MP said.
For Wandayi, the choice was a mark of Raila’s confidence in his leadership, promising to bring all the members – including the disgruntled ones, on board.
“I want to assure the party leader that I am more than equal to the task ahead of us. My first step would be to forge unity of purpose within our ranks and create a sense of belonging,” the Ugunja MP said.
Wandayi, who is the immediate former PAC chairman, added, “I will strive to work closely with all my colleagues in the National Assembly to advance the agenda of the coalition and the country.”
Even so, the question by the disgruntled forces is whether the team will inspire the confidence of the members in the assignment of checkmating William Ruto’s administration.
One of the members who asked not to be named for fear of being marked said: “We would want to see our coalition united, but as to whether that will be, God knows.”
Ruto boasts of controlling the numbers of the August House and has asked his team to always consider getting it right on his legislative agenda.
This is amid a contestation on, which of the two sides forms the majority or minority.
Azimio has a slim majority of 173 seats, as per coalition agreements, against Kenya Kwanza’s 164 seats in the National Assembly.
(Edited by Bilha Makokha)