The Jubilee party has announced key Senatorial committee changes, as the party’s shake up continues. Some of Deputy President William Ruto’s allies have been affected by the new changes, announced by the party’s leadership on Tuesday. Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei has been axed from the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee chairmanship. Cherargei is now a member of the Powers and Priviledges Committee.
Bomet Senator Christopher Lang’at has been moved from the Senate Business Committee with his position taken by Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja. Lang’at has also lost the chairmanship of the Education Committee and has been replaced by Senator Alice Milgo. Meru Senator Mithika Linturi who is a key ally of DP Ruto has lost his position of leadership at the Senate County Public Accounts and Investments Committee and has been replaced by Isiolo Senator Fatuma Dullo. John Kinyua will be replaced by Kipchumba Murkomen at the Devolution Committee and he in turn has been moved to the ICT Committee in place of West Pokot Senator Samuel Poghisio.
Speaking at the press address at Jubilee headquarters, the party secretary general Raphael Tuju said disciplinary action will be taken against any members who are errant, either through the party’s disciplinary committee or the National Executive Council(NEC). He said that total fidelity is expected from Members of Parliament in the party, adding that they signed contracts with the party and shouldn’t turn and betray the party, “They hung on the good will of the party to get the positions, for them to now change track means it’s nothing but betrayal of the party,” he said.
He noted that more changes will be made after the NEC convenes ahead of the Parliamentary Group Meeting. He pointed out, however, that some changes may be made during the PGM and others through a resolution of NEC. The purge in Jubilee took a quick turn after the last Parliamentary Group Meeting at State House, where some leaders, allied to DP Ruto, failed to show up. The act was treated as an act of defiance to President Uhuru Kenyatta who is the party leader, and the latest high profile leader to feel the scourge is former deputy Senate Speaker Kithure Kindiki.
