NAIROBI, Kenya, May 30 — Azimio Parliamentary Group has resolved to have Embakasi West Member of Parliament Mark Mwenje (Jubilee) replace Nominated MP Sabina Chege as the House Minority Deputy Whip.
The move to replace Chege, who has since shifted has since shifted her allegiance to President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza alliance, comes amid internal party wrangles that so retired President Uhuru Kenyatta loyalists evicted from leadership slots.
Mwenje together with Starehe’s Alex Mwago are the only Jubilee MP that have remained loyal to Kenyatta in the wake of a mass exodus.
National Assembly Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi confirmed Tuesday’s resolution was reached during deliberations at a meeting attended by over 130 Azimio members, including party leaders.
Wandayi argued the move aligns with the resolutions made by Azimio’s affiliate party, Jubilee, regarding changes in party leadership.
“In furtherance of those resolutions by Jubilee NDC, Azimio has today (Tuesday) settled on Hon Mark Mwenje, the MP for Embakasi West as the Deputy Minority Whip of the National Assembly. Mwenje will be taking up the position that was left vacant upon the removal of Sabina Chege about a month ago,” Wandayi said
Wandai described Mwenje as a “committed, consistent, energetic and youthful fighter who has shown the way to stand up for the people and the party, we have no doubt that he will prove equal the task.”
Fight to reclaim Jubilee
He further affirmed that Azimio will do everything possible to protect its affiliate parties from what he termed “heinous attacks emanating from the Kenya Kwanza regime.”
Wandayi added that Azimio led by Raila Odinga will do whatever it takes to protect multi-party democracy in the country even as he took a swipe at Registrar of Political Parties Ann Nderitu for certifying leadership changes by the Chege-led faction.
He further demanded for by-elections for in constituencies represented by Jubilee MPs who have shifted allegiance to Ruto.
“It is our resolution that other than merely committing not to interfere in the affairs of other parties, Kenya Kwanza must agree that all Jubilee MPs indeed any other MPs who have defected to Kenya Kwanza in essence have to face by elections in line with the constitution of Kenya,” he added.
Wandayi said Kenya Kwanza had indicated willingness to commit in writing to respect the ruling of the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal on the leadership contest in Jubilee.
Stalled bipartisan talks
Azimio maintained that until all their demands are met, bipartisan talks initiated in Parliament remain suspended.
“Until all this are agreed upon, the joint between bipartisan talks remain suspended Kenya Kwanza has up to midnight today (Tuesday) to comply,” he said.
On March 23, the tug of war for the heart and soul of the Jubilee Party intensified with the newly installed Jubilee Party Chairperson Sabina Chege attending Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary Group meeting chaired by President Ruto.
Chege, accompanied by Kanini Kega (Acting Secretary General), was nominated as the party chairperson replacing retired President Uhuru Kenyatta after a National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting.
The Kega-led faction dismissed Kenyatta’s Ngong Racecourse meeting, fashioned as a National Delegates Convention, as having no legal consequence.
Kega stated that until the Internal Dispute Resolution Committee resolves the ongoing wrangles, the purported NDC resolutions have no basis.
“The pronouncement made by the purported Jubilee National Delegates Convention (NDC) held by the former President Uhuru Kenyatta has no legal backing since the Political Parties Resolution has not resolved the disputes in Jubilee,” Kega said.
The Kega-led faction stated that the National Executive Committee which he maintained is lawfully constituted was instituted will hold a meeting on possible measures to against Kenyatta.
“It’s unfortunate that the former President has chosen to be on the wrong side of history by denting a legitimate decision of a party organ and he ceded being the party leader on the 14thMarch as per presidential retirement act,” Kega noted.
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