I will keep my whistle ready, says suspended MP Opiyo Wandayi

Ugunja MP James Opiyo Wandayi remains defiant, nearly three months after becoming the first MP to be suspended for a whole session.

Known by his colleagues as the “King of Firimbi” movement for his role in disrupting President Uhuru Kenyatta’s address on March 31, Wandayi was evicted from Parliament for persistently blowing whistles every time the President read his speech.

Speaker Justin Muturi suspended Mr Wandayi for 10 months during which he will earn his salary but will not get allowances.

He will return for the next session, which is expected to start in February next year.

But what has Wandayi been doing ever since he was kicked out of Parliament? In an interview with The Standard on Sunday, Wandayi said he has been busy.

“Parliament only takes between five and 10 per cent of an MP's time. I have been busy addressing my constituents’ needs,” said Wandayi. He added: “ Now I have time to serve CORD and my party leader Raila Odinga. I still play an oversight over the national government in my own way and still get useful information from my sources.”

No regrets

Wandayi says he has no regrets for his actions in Parliament, adding that nothing comes easy. “For us to safeguard and expand the democratic space, we have fought hard and there must be sacrifices,” said the outspoken MP.

He explained: “My violent removal from the chambers did not come as a surprise. I was expecting it because from the intelligence we had gathered, I was among the few MPs who were targeted. I knew one way or the other some punishment was going to be meted out on us.”

While defending his actions, Wandayi said he could not sit and listen to Uhuru’s supposed Public Relations gimmick, adding Kenyans were tired of empty rhetoric.

He justified his defiance to the Speaker: “The country was annoyed. I cannot allow myself to listen to such a speech. Kenyans are tired of PR, they want action.”

Asked if he had forgiven the shark-faced parliamentary orderlies who frog-marched him from the chamber, the ODM Director of Political Affairs, said: “I won’t talk about them for now. I am contemplating what action I will take. But as you know, they were serving their masters.”

Wandayi said his constituents were extremely angry at the Speaker’s decision to throw him out. He says he has been asking his supporters to take it easy.

“My constituents detest the action by the Speaker to throw me out of Parliament. They have no problem with me whatsoever and they fully support me and that is it.”

He went on: “I still work on the projects that benefit them and most importantly, I have not forgotten my role as their representative in the National Assembly despite being out for now.”

The MP said he had not made any attempt to appeal against the Speaker’s ruling, saying he would not like to discuss that line of thought. But has he started receiving allowances from the Siaya County government as promised by Governor Cornell Rasanga?

“I think the governor was joking and nevertheless, I did reject the offer if you heard me well during the same function where the offer was made. Even if he was serious, I would never have accepted any financial assistance from the county.”

“First, it would be wrong to benefit from the county government whereas I serve the national government. Secondly, the county government has no budget for such undertakings,” he added.

The governor had promised to give the MP some pay now that he was out on suspension and would not earn allowances.

Cash offer

Known for being a fierce critic of the Jubilee regime, Wandayi, who is a first term MP, said he will not give up his “firimbi” movement until the government bowed to pressure to have the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) reconstituted. On Wednesday, Uhuru announced a select committee would be formed to drive the process and determine IEBC’s future.

But Wandayi says the CORD leadership has long extended an olive branch to Jubilee.

“Electoral reforms that we have been agitating for must be undertaken through an all-inclusive process. This struggle must continue,” said the MP. Speaker Muturi invoked Standard Order No 111 when he threw Wandayi out of the chambers.

This means the MP will be out of the Chambers for 10 months.

During the suspension, he will not be allowed to enter Parliament buildings. He will also be barred from accessing his office at the Continental House.

Other opposition leaders who were thrown out, albeit for a short period, were Suba MP John Mbadi (ODM national chairman), Ruaraka’s TJ Kajwang and Homa Bay Women Rep Gladys Wanga.

Also shown the door were Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang, Mbita MP Millie Odhiambo, Nyando MP Fred Outa and Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati.

Jubilee MPs have also been pushing to have their CORD colleague ejected from various committees for allegedly showing disrespect to the President by disrupting his speech.

Some MPs, however, say the Speaker went overboard on Wandayi’s case.

Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo says: “It is a punishment that does not make sense since the MP would still be drawing his salary.”