Changes were effected to the leadership of the Minority Side in the National Assembly following a meeting of National Super Alliance (NASA) legislators in Parliament on Thursday, May 28.
Embattled Embakasi East MP Babu Owino took the opportunity to pledge his loyalty to the party in a hilarious speech, leaving his colleagues in stitches even as an attempted murder charge threatens his rising political profile.
Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa was removed as Deputy Minority Whip and replaced with his Tongaren counterpart Eseli Simiyu, as Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa was replaced on the Parliamentary Service Committee by Mishi Mboko of Likoni.
Both Wamalwa and Mboko stood accused of working with Deputy President William Ruto-associated Tanga Tanga faction of the Ruling Jubilee Party, thus contravening party expectations on loyalty.
“Thank you very much Chairman together with the Whip. This thing that you are doing is actually bringing loyalty to the coalition.
“Two, in politics, loyalty is rewarded in installments while disloyalty is punished instantly. Three, I must say, disloyalty to the party is loyalty to satan,” he stated.
Notably, Simiyu who replaced Wamalwa is also a member of Ford-Kenya, in a move pundits argue is meant to maintain harmony within the coalition largely seen before as dysfunctional.
With the majority Jubilee Party side having itself made changes to its leadership, reports indicate that a NASA senator might be settled upon as the new Deputy Speaker following the removal of Kithure Kindiki, an ally of DP Ruto.
Names floated include Kilifi Senator Stewart Madzayo, Nominated Senator Judith Pareno and Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo. If Mutula was to become the deputy speaker, Narok Senator Ledama Ole Kina is being fronted for Deputy Minority Whip in a reported plan suggested to calm recent tensions.
Currently out on bail, Babu has reiterated that his focus is on serving Embakasi East residents and has earned plaudits for his online Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education (KCSE) revision classes during the Covid-19 pandemic.
His Sunday, May 24, interview split opinion as he clashed with K24 anchor Anne Kiguta who pressed him over the shooting, asking if he deserved to continue holding office. A visibly frustrated Babu insisted that he could not discuss the matter as it was still in court.
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