Senators Murkomen, Kihika challenge ouster at constitutional court » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 14 – Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen and his Nakuru counterpart Susan Kihika’s case against their removal from Senate leadership positions is was due for hearing before the Constitutional Division of the High Court.

Murkomen and Kihika lost their Majority Leader and Majority Chief Whip positions respectively on Tuesday after a formal communication on the changes was relayed to the House by Speaker Kenneth Lusaka.

Murkomen was replaced with West Pokot Senator Samuel Poghisio who was endorsed during a Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting at State House following a Jubilee–KANU coalition agreement while Kihika was replaced by Murang’a Senator Irungu Kang’ata.

The two have since protested the manner in which they were stripped off their positions claiming the move was political and did not follow the due process as required by law prompting them to take the matter to court.

Jubilee Party has been cracking whip on party members who are mostly affiliated to Deputy President William Ruto in a move that political pundits describe as a strategy to curtail his political influence in the country.

Legislators aligned to the Deputy President have been adamant that the ‘deep state’ is up to derail him while their critics have accused them of disrespecting the President- in unending political cycle.

Ruto has been clear about his 2022 presidential ambitions to replace President Uhuru Kenyatta whose term will elapse in 2022.

On Wednesday, five senators were issued with ‘Show Cause’ letters for snubbing President Kenyatta’s PG meeting on Monday.

Nominated Senators Millicent Omanga, Mary Seneta, Naomi Wako, Victor Prengei and Iman Falhad are facing disciplinary action for snubbing the PG convened by President Kenyatta.

Jubilee Party’s Director of Communications Alex Memusi told Capital FM News the five could face a raft of disciplinary measures including expulsion from the party.