There was confusion on the floor of the Senate on Tuesday, February 21 after the Deputy Speaker of the Senate and Meru Senator Kathuri Murungi postponed communication regarding the change of the leadership of the minority in the house.
According to Murungi, he had received an order from the Political Parties Dispute Tribunal (PPDT) in which the speaker of the senate was joined as a third party.
This is after Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo filed a case at the PPDT following her de-whipping as the senate minority whip for her association with President William Ruto.
While postponing his communication, Murungi cited the interim orders of an injunction issued by the PPDT that restrained him from acting on the matter pending inter-parties hearing and termination of the application.
“The interim orders of the injunction are hereby issued restraining the respondent and interested parties…from implementing the communication and resolution by the respondents’ Parliamentary Group Meeting held on February 44, 2023,” the statement from PPDT read in part.
The meeting by Azimio-affiliated senators with party leader Raila Odinga had resolved to de-whip Dullo from the position of Senate Minority Whip and Parliamentary Committees and its attendant privileges respectively.
Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo who is the Senate Minority Leader, Narok Senator Ledama Olekina who replaced Dullo and the Speaker of the National Assembly were named as interested parties in the suit filed by Dullo and Jubilee Party.
Interestingly, Senator Madzayo revealed to the house that they had not received such orders from the tribunal.
Madzayo further stated that the Speaker was against the traditions of the House and the precedent set by previous speakers.
Together with other Azimio senators, Madzayo argued that the PPDT had no powers or mandate to stop proceedings of Parliament.
“What we want as a minority is what we gave you last week and it has taken so long, you are now denying the minority opportunity to have their leaders,” he put across.
A move by the minority side to implore the speaker to ignore the orders was rebuffed by Kakamega Senator Bonny Khalwale who stated that orders by the tribunal carried the same weight as those of the courts.
“A tribunal when it speaks has the power of the court. If he (the speaker) defies the tribunal he has no respect for the Lower Court, the High Court, the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court,” Khalwale observed.
“Let us be angry but allow the speaker to do what he is doing. He has been served and must respect the rule of law,” he added.
The de-whipping of Dullo together with other leaders was part of Raila’s move to rid of defiant members of his coalition who went to meet President Ruto despite the opposition’s stand on the legitimacy of Ruto as the fifth president.
In his communication, Odinga announced that Steward Madzayo would be the Minority leader and he would be deputised by Senator Enoch Wambua of Wiper party.
Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina was also appointed as the chief whip and would be deputised by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna.
Source: kENYANS.CO.KE