Ruto has suffered another major blow to his 2022 presidential ambitions. Amos Kimunya has okay-ed the expulsion of his supporters from key parliamentary committees.
One by one they were hurled out from prestigious committees by their fellow Jubilee Party members.
This is in anticipation of the much awaited constitutional changes proposed by the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI). The committee members clean up exercise is a result of immense pressure coming from the Orange Democratic Party.
Parliamentarians allied to Raila Odinga and Uhuru Kenyatta have immense control in parliament day-to-day business after the handshake. They include all the key committees responsible for implementing the key BBI.
BBI is as a result of the famous Handshake between two political giants – Raila & Uhuru. Nevertheless, some members in Jubilee Party including DP Ruto felt perturbed by this turn of events.
A Political Miscarriage
This meant that DP Ruto and his supporters political dreams had suffered a miscarriage. The future just got darker than ever.
Amos Kimunya transferred DP Ruto supporters to less powerful committees bowing down to pressure from ODM Chairman, John Badi and his colleagues. Experts indicate that this is a well calculated move to avert any impending obstacles in passing the key BBI reforms.
Committee of Members Service and Facilities welcomed Kimani Ichungwa. He, too, did not escape the wrath of supporters of BBI.
This DP Ruto supporter was stripped of his position as chair of the influential Budget and Allocation Committee.The Kikuyu Constituency MP had been nominated to the finance committee.
MP Kanini Kega takes Ichungwa’s position at the Budget and Allocation Committee.
More Problems For DP Ruto
The purge continued extending its arms to Riftvalley. DP Ruto’s home tuff.
Baringo North MP, William Cheptumo and Alice Wahome (MP for Kandara) relinquished their positions. They surrendered positions of the chair of the Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs (JLAC) and deputy chair, respectively.
Amos Kimunya handed both positions to Members of parliament who support BBI.
Kangema MP, Muturi Kigano takes on the position of committee chairperson deemed essential to BBI ‘s political amendments. His deputy is Rarieda MP, Otiende Amollo.
Aden Duale has been put in the Public Accounts Committee ( PAC) headed by Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi. He’s been recently stripped of the position of house majority leader.
Outspoken DP Ruto supporter Benjamin Washiali is now a member of the Broadcasting Committee.The purge did not spare him. Eventually he forfeited the costly Majority Whip Status.
Gladys Shollei, the former chair of the Legislation Committee, has been named as a member of the Committee on Procedure & House Rules.
Tiaty MP William Kamket is poised to take over the Uasin Gishu Woman Representative’s former role.
Gatundu South MP, Moses Kuria now serves in the Implementation Committee as a member. Initially he was the Vice Chairperson of the Transport Committee.
ODM Is Rewarded
Amos Kimunya preserved Pokot South MP David Pkosing and his Marakwet West counterpart William Kisang as Chairs of the Transport and ICT Committees. This is despite the fact that both are considered as supporters of DP Ruto.
Homa Bay Woman Rep Gladys Wanga now chairs the Finance and Planning Committee. Her Busia counterpart Florence Mutua heads the Education Committee.
Kanduyi MP, Wafula Wamunyinyi is leading the CDF Committee. Earlier, Kimunya was labeled a despot at a messy meeting held whose prime objective was to share the Jubilee cleansing spoils. That was after the Kipipiri MP refused to allow any proposed changes by the majority and minority parties.