Nairobi, KENYA: National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has refuted claims by a section of Members of Parliament that he influenced the ouster of the then Labour and Social welfare house chair, Alfred Keter and his counterpart in Agriculture Silas Tiren.
In a media briefing in his office at Parliamentary buildings on Thursday, Muturi refuted the claims terming them baseless.
He said that de-whipping of legislators from their leadership positions in the house is a mandate which is being undertaken by political parties.
Muturi said that the Speaker has no mandate of ousting any chair of any given parliamentary committee.
“I am not involved in the running of committees, follow what they do, and whenever there are reports that they are supposed to produce on time. As to issues on the leadership of committees and selection, I am not involved.”Muturi said.
He argued that if political parties will not be involved in leadership and membership of various legislative committees, then it might kill multipartyism in the country.
However, he urged political parties whenever there is a dispute with their party members, to do a formal communication to him and inform the speaker which is a cardinal principle in the house.
He added that such parties are flouting parliamentary standing orders by failing to follow due process when they are ousting their member from a leadership position in parliament.
Keter and Tiren were recently kicked out of house committees by Jubilee party which was arguing that their move was to embrace equality of leadership across the country.
On the other hand, Keter accused majority leader Aden Duale and Muturi of attending a meeting at Statehouse in a bid to oust him as Labor committee chair.
