A vicious war is brewing at the powerful Public Accounts Committee over the control of the oversight team pitting key Raila Odinga allies.
At the centre of the power struggle is the acting chairman and Butere MP, Tindi Mwale, and his Saboti counterpart Caleb Amisi.
Tindi, who is the substantive vice chairman, took over the running of the committee’s affairs last year following the appointment of its former chair, John Mbadi, to the Cabinet.
ODM’s central management committee last year tapped Amisi to fill in the void left by Mbadi in the changes that also affected the House leadership.
Amisi is the vice chairperson of the Public Investment Committee on Social Services, Administration and Agriculture.
The war exploded over the weekend in Kakamega with the two lawmakers trading barbs in front of the party’s top officials.
The Saboti MP was the first to fire a salvo, claiming there were forces hell-bent on edging him out of the lucrative post, despite the party’s direction.
“Raila gave me the seat but if they want to fight me, then there is no problem,” Amisi said.
Tindi hit back, accusing Amisi of using underhand means to block him from assuming the leadership position left by Mbadi.
“After the 2022 elections, Raila, having considered my professional qualifications called me and told me to deputise Mbadi in PAC. Then by good luck, Mbadi was made Treasury Cabinet Secretary and now I have been acting as the chairman for six months,” Tindi said.
“Then there are fellow Luhyas moving around lobbying for the same seat as if they are more ODM members than the others. Let us be sincere.”
The leaders were speaking during ODM delegates meeting in Kakamega attended by top party officials.
Present at the Sunday meeting were acting party leader Anyang’ Nyong’o, national chairperson Gladys Wanga and deputy party leaders Godfrey Osotsi and Simba Arati.
Tindi urged the officials to confirm him as the substantive chair of the oversight committee citing his experience at its helm.
“Having acted for the past six months, the party should confirm me as the chairman of the Public Accounts Committee,” the Butere MP said.
PAC is no ordinary committee - with a constitutional oversight role over government spending, whoever controls the committee has power over government ministries and departments.
