Infighting in committee claims first NA chair scalp
Infighting among members of the powerful Housing and Urban Planning Committee over the handling of contractors in the sector has resulted in the removal of the chairperson Johanna Ng’eno.
The Emurua Dikirr MP, a key ally of President William Ruto and who has been instrumental in pushing the passage of the Affordable Housing law in the National Assembly becomes the first chair of a committee to be ejected from his position in the 13th Parliament.
However, attempts to remove Tourism and Wildlife Committee chairman Kareke Mbiuki were thwarted by the UDA leadership.
A section of committee members yesterday morning held a six-hour meeting with Speaker Moses Wetangúla to discuss the conduct of their chairperson whom they accused of running the key committee as a “private entity by sidelining other members.
The Speaker was of the view that Housing being an important component in the government’s plan needs not to be politicized and urged members to give the leadership space to reorganize the committees without creating animosity among the members.
The committee is key to the Kenya Kwanza Housing program and was instrumental in overseeing the passage of the Affordable Housing Act especially in public participation forums.
The meeting with the Speaker, according to a source, saw members accuse Ng’eno and his deputy Mugambi Rindikiri of sidelining them in key matters warning that this would be detrimental to the housing program which is key to President William Ruto’s administration.
