Kenya Kwanza MPs will be controlled by Executive if given majority status - Robert Mbui

Kathiani Member of Parliament Robert Mbui now claims that the decision to give Kenya Kwanza alliance the majority status in the National Assembly will expose the House to control by the Executive.

Mbui, who has been fronted by Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party as Deputy Majority Leader, said MPs are elected to represent and oversee government functions.

Hence, Mbui argued, if the role is bestowed on an MP allied to the ruling Kenya Kwanza government, they will be compelled to coerce House Committees to consent to all directives issued by State House.

“Oversight means that every member whether in Azimio or Kenya Kwanza has a role to ensure that they hold this government to account. What they are not noting is that they are actually under the control of the Executive,” Mbui said in an interview on Citizen TV’s News Night on Tuesday.

“They are fighting to be the majority so that they can have an advantage in membership committees so that they can have all Chairs coming from their coalitions. These chairs will be taking instructions from none other than State House directly, so then at what point do they represent Kenyans?”

According to the lawmaker, allotting the majority role to Kenya Kwanza will cripple operations in the National Assembly, and thus the House will be unable to perform its sworn duties.

“They are falling into it, MPs are not part of the Executive…they must articulate that issue to represent their people. If they are going to hold a brief for the Executive, then who takes care of those people we are supposed to represent? That is where the problem is, we are claiming the space because it legally belongs to us," he remarked.

Kenya Kwanza’s Deputy Majority Leader designate Owen Baya, who was also on the same platform, dismissed Mbui’s remarks maintaining that the President William Ruto-led outfit ought to be the majority in order to execute government functions.

Baya intimated that having a Leader of the Majority hailing from the opposition party would impede government functions since they are against that same government.

He said the opposition does not understand the plans of the ruling government and thus would be focused on ensuring that the government fails in its mandate.

“President Ruto needs to prosecute government business through the Parliament. Whoever is declared as the majority in the House will chair all those committees," he said.

“If the Chairman for Finance is an Azimio member prosecuting our Finance Bill, which Ruto will bring into Parliament, that is unheard of because he will be the first one to tear it apart. He will not prosecute government business as a person in government. They (Azimio) want it just because they want to scatter our programs as Kenya Kwanza.”