Mbadi downplays alleged rift with Kimunya

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) Party Chairman John Mbadi has refuted claims of a bitter split between MPs allied to his party leader Raila Odinga and those allied to President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Mbadi said political antagonists and detractors misinterpreted the misunderstanding between him and the National Assembly’s majority leader Amos Kimunya over leadership in key house committees.

The Suba North legislator who is also the National Assembly Minority leader said that their differences with Kimunya were rooted in the composition of house committees.

Mbadi explained that he had issues with the composition of vital committees like the Justice and Legal Affairs and that of Delegated Legislation which would determine the fate of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI).

A meeting between Kimunya and Mbadi reportedly failed to reach a consensus on how to share the positions, prompting the minority side to threaten to reject the list on the floor of the House.

Kimunya allegedly refused to give in to the demands of the minority side to take charge of the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee and the Committee on Delegated Legislation, both formerly chaired by Dr Ruto’s allies.

Mbadi was speaking his Suba South Constituency in Homa Bay County where he flagged off the construction of the 73-kilometre Mbita – Sori road to be constructed at the cost Ksh 2.83 billion by the national government.

The road will connect Migori and Homa Bay counties.