Khalwale issues tough demand to ODM hours after the party sacked Wetangula
ODM on Thursday official wrote to Kenneth Lusaka seeking to have Wetangula sacked.
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The former Kakamega Senator was making reference to the recent developments in which the ODM party is said to have joined Jubilee, demanding that the party come out clear on the allegations.
Dr Khalwale has told the party, which has the highest number of seats in both the National and Senate assemblies to relinquish the chair seats of Pubic Accounts Committee and the Public Investments Committees, both which are watchdog committee on public expenditure.
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“Impunity may allow ODM to remove Moses Wetangula as minority leader. But more importantly, ODM must first make up her mind whether she is in Jubilee's government or not.”
“For if she is, then by law, she must forfeit Public Accounts Committee and Public Investment Committee and minority leadership in both houses to ANC, Wiper and Ford Kenya,” the former Senator tweeted.
On Thursday, ODM party wrote to the Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka to initiate the process to remove Wetangula from the Minority leadership position, a job set to be handed to his Siaya counterpart James Orengo.
Mr Wetang’ula, in essence, becomes the first casualty of the handshake between President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga last week Friday, which has entrenched suspicions between the alliance partners.
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Suspended removal
Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka would, however, suspend the removal of Mr Wetang’ula until Mr Orengo is elected in the House, according to the Standing Orders, which provide that the removal of the Leader of Minority shall not take effect until another one is elected in accordance with the rules.
As a result, Mr Lusaka ruled that the ODM meeting that dethroned Mr Wetang’ula does not in law have the power to appoint Mr Orengo.
He added that House procedures require that the axing of Mr Wetang’ula be by a majority of the votes of all senators belonging to the minority party.
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Mr Wetang’ula, who was in the House when Mr Lusaka announced his removal based on the minutes of an ODM parliamentary group meeting attended by 16 senators, had protested that the ouster was not procedural because ODM, as a party, is not a member of the Senate, but Nasa, as a coalition is.
“If you want a divorce, then it will be noisy, messy, and it will not be easy,” Mr Wetang’ula warned ODM, accusing Mr Orengo of being behind the conspiracy to dethrone him through a series of nocturnal meetings.
He added: “I am an elected leader and you can’t belittle me. I will fight you mundu khu mundu (Luhya for man to man).”
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