Nine ODM MPs who met President Ruto to face disciplinary committee
A
five-member Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party Disciplinary Committee is in
the process of compiling and issuing summons to nine members who held a closed
door meeting with President William Ruto and his deputy Rigathi Gachagua on
Tuesday at State House, Nairobi.
The ODM Disciplinary Committee includes Prof. Ben
Sihanya, who is the Chairman, Florence Omosa (Secretary), and members Seth
Kakusye, Mumbi Ng'aru, and Ramadhan Abubakar.
The
summoned MPs will be served with the notices individually, and will be required
to show cause why the party should not take action against them.
They
are then required to physically appear before the disciplinary committee at a
date to be decided later.
According
to the committee's Head of Legal Affairs Tony Moturi, no specific timelines
have been set, but members will be accorded reasonable time given the
circumstances of the matter, and that rules of natural justice and due process
will be applied.
The
5-member committee will then retreat to
compile its report and submit its recommendation to the 42-member National
Executive Committee (NEC) led by the party's National Chairman John Mbadi.
Party leader Raila Odinga and his two deputies, Wycliff
Oparanya and Hassan Joho, are also members of NEC.
The NEC will then forward its findings to the National
Governing Council, that includes the National Executive Council, ODM League,
Youth League, county coordinating committee officials and the National Election
Board.
ODM
Secretary General Edwin Sifuna, in a statement on Thursday, said: "Internal
mechanisms have been initiated with a view of processing it for action by the relevant
party organs in accordance with the party constitution and any other relevant
law.”
Sifuna's
response came after Migori Senator Eddy Oketch, through his attorney Gad Aguko,
wrote to the Secretary General and the Disciplinary Committee Chairman claiming
that the MPs violated the party's Constitution.
The
letter read: “On February 7, the members of the party were treated to blatant
and arrogant violation of the party's Constitution as read together with
Section 14A (1) (e) of the Political Parties Act No. 11 of 2012 of the Laws of
Kenya.”
If
dissatisfied with the party's internal mechanisms, a member may seek
intervention from the Political Parties Tribunal and further move to the High Court
if still disgruntled.
Among the MPs who met President Ruto and DP Gachagua include: Gideon Ochanda (Bondo), Elisha Odhiambo (Gem), Mark Nyamita (Uriri),
Caroli Omondi (Suba South), Shakeel Shabir (Kisumu East, Independent) Felix
Odiwuor alias Jalang’o (Lang’ata), Paul Abuor (Rongo), John Owino (Awendo) and
Kisumu Senator Tom Ojienda.
Following
uproar from the ODM party members after the said State House meeting, Lang’ata MP Jalang’o was on Thursday kicked out of an
Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition Parliamentary Group meeting at Maanzoni
lodge in Machakos.
Speaking
to the press after being kicked out, Jalang’o claimed that a member of Azimio
leader Raila Odinga’s security asked him to leave the hall.
“I feel bad. You know I love Baba… I am a
member of ODM. I can’t regret meeting Ruto, I had gone there on my own
capacity, and he called me for development issues,” Jalang’o explained.
Asked
whether he would apologise for taking a different direction from his party, the
MP said; “There is no apology about it, I went there for development.”
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