Nairobi — Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Leaders have threatened a major showdown in the National Assembly on Tuesday, next week, should Speaker Moses Wetangula fail to effect leadership changes in the Opposition wing.
National Assembly Minority Opiyo Wandayi questioned the delays in replacing Nominated MP Sabina Chege as the Deputy Minority Whip with Embakasi West MP Mark Mwenje despite court orders issuing grounds to speedily make the changes.
"We are giving a notice that if the court orders issued on 9th October is not effected by the Speaker for Hon Mark Mwenje to be the Deputy Minority Whip then it will not be business as usual. This joke has dragged on for too long and it must come to an end," Wandayi said.
Wandayi cited frustration by the National Assembly Speaker to implement the court order designating Mwenje as the Deputy Minority Whip weeks after the ruling was made yet the order suspending the decision to replace was speedily effected.
The High Court dismissed the notice of motion filed in May that allowed Sabina to remain as Deputy Minority Whip directing her to exhaust the legal mechanism within the Azimio Coalition.
"The court agreed with Parliament lawyers that it has no jurisdiction on the matter since Sabina has not exhausted the legal mechanism within the party. The court dismissed original notice of motion that allowed Sabina to be the Deputy Minority Whip," he said.
The Ugenya Lawmaker mentioned that the Speaker Wetangula and National Assembly Clerk Samuel Njoroge had assured him that the communication on the changes will be made today afternoon saying the delays are aimed at buying time for Sabina to get orders to halt the changes.
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"Those who went to court on this matter are now running to court to seek further orders to stop the change.You don't have to be a lawyer to know what games are being played,"Wandayi noted.
Azimio Parliamentary Group resolved to have Mwenje replace Chege as the House Minority Deputy Whip on May 30.
The move to replace Chege, who had shifted her allegiance to President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza alliance, came amid internal party wrangles that so retired President Uhuru Kenyatta loyalists evicted from leadership slots.
Wandayi said the resolution to replace Chege was backed by 130 Azimio members, including party leaders.
Wandayi argued the move aligned with the resolutions made by Azimio's affiliate party, Jubilee, regarding changes in party leadership.
Chege has since moved to court seeking to impede the recommendation by the Azimio La Umoja-One Kenya coalition party to have her removed.
In the application filed by lawyer Bryan Khaemba, the politician urges the court to expeditiously hear and determine the case filed.
The current application filed at the Constitutional Court is an appeal stemming from a decision by a Kiambu High Court Judge Lady Justice Dora Chepkwony who directed Mrs Chege to launch her complaint in the proper channel.
