Parties begin crackdown on errant MPs over Bill

Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris. [Kelly Ayodi, Standard]

Lawmakers who defied party positions during voting on the Finance Bill's Second Reading in Parliament risk disciplinary action.

President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza Alliance and Raila Odinga's Azimio la Umoja have already initiated punishment of rebel Members of Parliament, many of whom have faced a backlash from supporters.

National Assembly Minority Whip Junet Mohamed yesterday said the matter had been referred to the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), with the party's central committee resolving to take disciplinary action against the MPs.

They include Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris and MPs Elisha Odhiambo (Gem) as well as Caroli Omondi (Suba South), who are facing disciplinary action over their association with Ruto.

Last evening, ODM fired a show-cause letter to Passaris for alleged betrayal and gave her 48 hours to respond or face disciplinary action.

"Your conduct was a betrayal of the trust bestowed by the party and the electorate and in open violation of party's and Azimio coalition position. You are hereby given notice to show cause as to why disciplinary action should not be taken against you," the letter by ODM vice chair Mwashushe Mwaruma read.

Earlier, a source had disclosed that the Azimio rebel MPs had been ejected from the parliamentary group WhatsApp platform.

Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei hinted that Kenya Kwanza would be pursuing a similar course of action.

"The few elements within KK MPs who opposed the Bill shall face party disciplinary action," Cherargei tweeted Wednesday.

Githunguri MP Gathoni wa Muchomba, a United Democratic Alliance lawmaker, voted against the Bill in defiance of Ruto's position and has said she is ready for whatever consequences.

Azimio had already labelled those who would endorse the Bill "traitors," and urged a public vote to smoke them out. The president, too, backed such a vote, to establish those opposing his proposals.

"81 patriots in the National Assembly. I salute you. Honourable members, history will vindicate you," ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna hailed their MPs on Twitter.

The Standard has learnt that those absent during voting without a satisfactory explanation would not be spared respective party's wrath.

We have established that Raila had during the last parliamentary group meeting issued specific instructions to Azimio MPs against travelling abroad during voting.

The absentees have had difficulty explaining their absence, with a clip in which Majority Whip Silvanus Osoro alleged that they sponsored the absence raising suspicion.

"You will notice that there is a very unusual absence of members of the Opposition. This is a game... we cause their absenteeism," Osoro said in an exclusive interview with KTN News. A tactic Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale admits to having employed as Majority Leader in his book For the Record.

After the voting, many of the Azimio absentees, under fire from their colleagues, frantically tried to explain their absence in their parliamentary social media groups, with others rushing to explain their absence to the public.

The Standard has seen a message from an Azimio MP who said he was abroad on treatment.

In a video clip posted on his social media handles, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino Wednesday said he had a meeting with his lawyers on a pending legal matter, stating that he believed the vote would come next week in line with communication by House Speaker Moses Wetang'ula.

The Azimio leadership had rallied all its members to attend debate of the controversial Bill, a message relayed during a Wednesday press briefing.

"Our MPs are mobilised, whipped and aligned. They will reject this anti-people Bill," former Kakamega Governor Wycliffe Oparanya said in a joint statement, revealing that they would punish deviants, even as Narc Kenya leader Martha Karua dismissed talk of disciplinary action.

"Azimio is not in the habit of threatening MPs," Karua said.

In Parliament yesterday, Junet and Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wa fired a warning shot to those who would miss next week's debate, given both sides need numbers to have their way.

"Yesterday many members were saying they did not know the question would be put... there is clarity that the Third Reading will come up for debate on Tuesday and members must be aware of that," said Junet. Ninety-two MPs were absent during the vote, which Kenya Kwanza won by 176 against Azimio's 81.