Nandi Hills MP Alfred Keter. [Photo|the-star.co.ke]
A High Court in Nairobi on Wednesday temporarily suspended a decision by the Jubilee party to remove four of its Members of Parliament (MPs) from National Assembly committees.
Justice John Mativo issued the orders following a case in which four Jubilee MPs are challenging their removal from committee leadership for allegedly defying party leadership.
The four MPs, Alfred Keter (Nandi Hills), Silas Tiren (Moiben), Kangogo Bowen (Marakwet East) and James Gakuya (Embakasi North) were elected National Assembly committee chairs against the Jubilee party leadership preferred candidates.
They have sued National Assembly majority Chief Whip Benjamin Washiali, Majority leader Aden Duale and the Speaker over their removal from their respective committees.
Through lawyer Frank Walukwe, the four MPs argue that they were validly elected as committee chairs in elections held on December 20 and accuse the Jubilee party of not granting them an opportunity to be heard before they were discharged.
"Contrary to the provisions of the Standing orders, they were never informed of the pendency of the Chief Whip’s decision to discharge them from their various departmental committees neither were they given an opportunity to be heard," Walukwe was quoted by Nation.
Removal of the four MPs together with Emgwen’s Alex Kosgey has caused a storm with the legislators threatening to impeach Duale and Washiali.
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