NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 1 – Influential organ within Orange Democratic Movement Party has now resolved to announce National Assembly Minority Whip Junet Mohammed to assume the Minority Leader post following vacancies occasioned by cabinet appointments.
The Central Management Committee chaired by the party leader Raila Odinga settled on the third time lawmaker to take up the role following the appointment of current position holder Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi after he was nominated to the Cabinet as in the Energy docket.
In the announcement made by ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna,Suba South MP Millie Odhiambo will take up the role of Mohammed as the Minority Whip in proposals set to be submitted to the Azimio La Umoja Parliamentary Group for consensus.
Saboti MP Caleb Amisi is now set to become the next chairman of the Public Accounts Committee which is one of the powerful and most coveted watchdog committee taking up the post from
Nominated MP John Mbadi who was nominated as Cabinet Secretary for Treasury.
Funyula MP Wilberforce Oundo will replace Amisi who was serving as a Vice Chair in the Public Investment Committee on Agriculture and Social Services chaired by Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe.
The Azimio La Umoja Parliamentary Group is expected to give a final nod to the resolution by the committee before they final assume the position with the consensus set to be forwarded to the Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula.
“We reiterate that there is no agreement of any nature between ODM and Kenya Kwanza. ODM therefore remains a member of the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition and will continue to play its opposition role alongside other parties to push for accountability,”Sifuna said.
Last week, President William Ruto nominated four senior ranking members of the opposition ODM party as part of his new broad-based government with intense lobbying ongoing to take up their position with the party leadership and parliamentary leadership posts.
This is following sustained countrywide protests by Generation Z youth which disrupted economic activities prompting the President to make radical changes including overhaul of the Cabinet.
He appointed ODM Party Chairman John Mbadi to Cabinet Secretary National Treasury; Opiyo Wandayi to Energy and Petroleum; Ali Hassan Joho to Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs; and Wycliffe Oparanya to the Ministry of Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Development.
The Odinga led party is yet to fill the deputy party leader positions following Joho and Oparanya appointment though intense jostling has been ongoing among leaders especially from Western and Coastal region eyeing the seat.
Sources intimate at the party leader Raila Odinga has already settled on Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir to fill Joho’s shoes in the party.
On Monday, Odinga held talks with Mombasa Governor and Kisii Governor Simba Arati with talks emerging that the duo could be earmarked to fill Joho position and his counterpart Wycliffe Oparanya who was nominated in the Cooperative docket.