Parliamentary Shake-Up: Gachagua Allies Demoted as Ndindi Nyoro Loses Budget Committee Chairmanship

Parliamentary Shake-Up: Gachagua Allies Demoted as Ndindi Nyoro Loses Budget Committee Chairmanship

A major political realignment is underway in Parliament as lawmakers allied to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua find themselves on the receiving end of a leadership purge. Days after similar changes swept through the Senate, Wednesday marked a decisive shift in the National Assembly, with several MPs losing key committee positions.

Gachagua Allies Relegated to Lesser Committees

In a move spearheaded by National Assembly Majority Whip Sylvanus Osoro, at least five Gachagua-leaning MPs have been stripped of influential roles and reassigned to less powerful committees. Among those affected is Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba, who previously chaired the Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee. Wamuchomba now finds herself relegated to the Services and Facilities Committee, which primarily deals with catering services for legislators.

Other affected MPs include:

Roysambu MP Mwafrika Augustine Kamande, who notably skipped President William Ruto’s Sunday service in his constituency.
Naivasha MP Jayne Kihara, formerly a key member of the Lands Committee.
Mumias East MP Peter Salasya, who has also been reassigned.

Embakasi North MP James Gakuya, who previously chaired the Trade Committee, has also been downgraded to a member of the Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library Committee. Similarly, Gatanga MP Edward Muriu, Juja MP George Koimburi, and Kajiado North MP Onesmus Ngogoyo have all been moved to less influential committees.

More MPs Moved to Lower-Tier Committees

Further reshuffling saw Runyenjes MP Eric Karemba, Manyatta MP John Mukunji, and Embakasi Central MP Mejja Donk Gathiru reassigned to the Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee, a less prestigious post compared to their former roles. Meanwhile, Mwala MP Vincent Kawaya, who chaired his final session at the helm of the National Assembly Energy Committee on Wednesday, was also removed to make room for incoming opposition MPs under a new bipartisan arrangement.

Ndindi Nyoro Loses Budget Committee Chairmanship

Perhaps the most significant change is the anticipated removal of Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro as Chair of the Budget and Appropriations Committee. While he remains a member of the committee, he is expected to step aside in favor of an opposition candidate. This comes amid shifting political allegiances in the wake of Gachagua’s impeachment.

The new leadership line-up is set to bring in several ODM MPs, with key positions distributed as follows:

Alego Usonga MP Sam Atandi is expected to take over as Chair of the Budget Committee.
Ikolomani MP Bernard Shinali is set to lead the Trade Committee, replacing Gakuya.
Kilifi South MP Ken Chonga is poised to take charge of the Labor Committee, succeeding Karemba.
Nominated MP Irene Mayaka will head the Regional Integration Committee.
Seme MP Dr. James Nyikal is set to become Chair of the Health Committee.

Elections for New Committee Heads

The election process for the new committee chairs is set to begin on Thursday, with the final appointments expected to be completed by Wednesday next week. As Parliament undergoes this transformation, political analysts predict further realignments that could shape the legislative agenda in the coming months.

Stay tuned to Nairobian for continuous updates on Kenya’s evolving political landscape.

In other news:Ruto Administration Withdraws Ksh1.3 Trillion Manually in Seven Months – CoB Report

Parliamentary Shake-Up: Gachagua Allies Demoted as Ndindi Nyoro Loses Budget Committee Chairmanship