Kega extorting me, my friends as a bait for withdrawal of signatures
Hillary Mageka @hillarymageka
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale has launched scathing attacks at Kieni MP Kanini Kega accusing him of extortion, thriving in threats and blackmail.
This is after the Kieni lawmaker purportedly initiated a process to kick out Duale as a majority barely 24 hours after surviving the purge against Deputy President William Ruto’s allies.
People Daily has independently established that Kega who was touted to replace Duale as Majority leader in the National Assembly during yesterday’s Jubilee coalition Parliamentary Group, is purportedly collecting signatures from his colleagues to impeach him.
But in a strongly worded statement, the Garissa Township legislator has rubbished the claims accusing Kanini of perfecting the art of extortion so well that all he does is to purport to collect signatures only for him thereafter to solicit for favors from him and his friends as a bait for withdrawal of signatures.
“Unfortunately, we are used to his antics and threats and we are not boarding,” Duale said in a statement sent to newsrooms on Wednesday.
“His tricks unfortunately has even killed the Committee on Trade one of the most important Committee in the House to which he chairs,” he added.
According to the majority leader, members cannot be led by an extortionist and as a result attendance is nearly zero and has rendered the Committee as dead as a dodo.
“How else would you explain a second term Member of Parliament who already knows the rules of procedure for removal of a Leader of Majority feigning ignorance and purporting to collect signatures.” he asked.
The National Assembly Standing Order 19 is clear on the process for removal of a Majority Leader which is by a majority of votes of all Members of the Majority Party in a Parliamentary Group chaired by the Party Leader and the decision thereafter is communicated by the Majority Whip to the Speaker.
“There is no place for collection of signatures. In any case the process was already completed yesterday (Tuesday) in the Parliamentary Group chaired by the President to which Hon. Kanini Kega also attended.”
According to him, what the Kieni lawmaker is doing is to lie to his colleagues through unknown procedures that he can still have a say in the removal process when he is just playing his usual extortion game.
“I am also aware that Hon. Kanini Kega may be also shedding tears of loss and nursing a disappointment having believed in his mind that he was to be the next Majority Leader.
Yesterday, Jubilee Parliamentary Group meeting however made his dreams end in a bang.” Duale reminded Kanini.
“Hon. Kanini Kega, please note that being a Leader of Majority is not as easy as ABCD,” he affirmed.
Contacted, on whether he was aware that members of the national assembly were collecting signatures for the removal of Duale, Jubilee Party Secretary General Raphael Tuju neither denied nor confirmed the same.
“We cannot second guess the president and our party leader Uhuru Kenyatta,” Tuju said in an interview with People Daily.
