Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula on Wednesday approved the removal of the Nominated Member of Parliament Sabina Chege as Deputy Minority Whip of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance.
Chege will now be replaced by Embakasi West MP Mark Mwenje who had been nominated by Jubilee as her replacement.
“Mark Mwenje is the Deputy Whip of the Azimio coalition with effect from today, not any other time. If there are any privileges and trapping of that office they will land on him from today, not any other time,” Wetang’ula ruled during the House proceeding.
The leadership change comes after months of push and pull between the opposition, Speaker Wetang’ula, and the Jubilee Party faction allied with President William Ruto.
According to speaker Wetangula, the request seeking the removal of Chege as the Deputy Minority Whip was based on the rule of law regardless of the rivalry between the two factions in the Azimio coalition party.
The Jubilee party has two competing sides; one allied with President William Ruto, led by Sabina Chege, and Kanini Kega as acting party leader and secretary general.
The other side is allied with former President Uhuru Kenyatta and is represented by Jeremiah Kioni as its SG. The faction recognizes Uhuru as the party leader.
The Political Parties Disputes Tribunal on July confirmed EALA MP Kanini Kega as Jubilee party Secretary General, a ruling which was expected to put to rest leadership issues within the party.
The Tribunal also confirmed the expulsion of former Jubilee National Vice-Chairman David Murathe, and Secretary General Jeremiah Kioni.
The appointment of Mwenje as Sabina’s replacement was announced in June after the Azimio la Umoja coalition announced that MP Sabina would no longer lead the outfit.
Azimio Coalition accused the Nominated MP of defying the official party position on numerous occasions and associating with Kenya Kwanza.