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The Office of the Leader of Majority Party of the National Assembly was established in the 2010 Constitution. With it came the responsibilities of an appointee who would push the agenda of the Majority Party in the House.
This I must say was a daunting and demanding task especially when I was first appointed by the Jubilee Party led by His Excellency the President in 2013 where I served in the entire 11th Parliament.
I was appointed at a time when the 11th Parliament had its basket full with legislative agenda to conclude on the implementation of the Constitution in terms of passage of various legislation to implement the Constitution which had strict constitutional timelines as prescribed in the Fifth Schedule to the Constitution.
I am glad that I was able to push all the Bills to implement the Constitution and by the end of the 11th Parliament nearly all had been passed and assented to.
The 11th Parliament had also the huge responsibility of ensuring that the baby that the Constitution had created in terms of devolution was up and running and that the people in all the forty-seven counties would finally experience proximate social and economic development.
I am also glad that amidst all the teething problems we experienced as Parliament including disputes on sharing of revenue between the national and county levels of government, I was able to push through all the Division of Revenue Bills for the five financial years until the end of the 11th Parliament.
Objectives of proposed legislation
Whereas it is easier said than done, the responsibilities of pushing through the legislative agenda of the Majority Party is never a walk in the path. It is one that requires you to work with all Members from all political parties and make them believe in the agenda by showing them the objectives of any proposed legislation and what import it will have on all Kenyans.
My experience in the last seven years as a Majority Leader has taught me that it is never easy to bring everyone on board but fortunate enough I have been able to do so.
As a Majority Leader my eyes have always been fixed on what is for the benefit and good of the people of Kenya. This has always been my guiding star.
Indeed, just like in the words of perhaps one of the greatest Majority Leader the US Congress ever had, who also happens to have served the longest time as a Majority Leader, – Senator Mike Mansfield – in his speech of what he termed as being the credit to his achievements, he answered it was due to his ‘three great loves’.
One of which was for the people who had elected him and the Congress.
PHOTO/COURTESY
Well for me, I would say I owe it to the great people of Garissa and my party led by His Excellency the President for bestowing me with the responsibilities of serving the great people of Kenya.
This I will continue performing with excellence.
Big Four Agenda
In 2017 upon the commencement of the 12th Parliament, the Jubilee Party led by His Excellency the President again reaffirmed their confidence in me and appointed me to serve as the Leader of Majority Party.
I took over the office at a time when the Majority Party had and continues to have the Big Four Agenda in its mind.
To this end, we have in the past three years passed key legislation and budgets geared towards ensuring that the food security, manufacturing, affordable housing and universal healthcare pillars are achieved.
Yesterday, the Jubilee Party led by His Excellency the President reaffirmed again their confidence in me and gave me the go ahead to continue serving as the Leader of Majority.
In this regard, I must thank the Party Leader and the entire Party for allowing me to continue serving the great people of this nation.
The remaining two years I will ensure that as a Majority Leader I push through the agenda of the Majority Party including ensuring that the Big Four Agenda is realized in full and process any reforms proposed to the Constitution towards a more prosperous nation.
My experience as a Leader of Majority Party have also taught me that servant leadership is all that it takes to serve the people of Kenya. It is never about the office you occupy.
Indeed, past leaders in Parliament that embraced servant leadership brought Parliament closer to Kenyans in terms of making them see the real work of Parliament.
Benefit of the people
I remember great chairpersons of Committees like Paul Muite, who chaired the most vibrant Justice and Legal Affairs Committee the House has ever had, the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee that was chaired by Hon Abdikadir, that to date we still remember for its role in the constitutional implementation process and of course the Public Accounts Committees that was Chaired by His Excellency the President when he [was]a Member of Parliament that is known to have brought to light all the menace behind Goldenberg!
As a Leader when you focus on that which is of the benefit of the people, it always bears fruits and I indeed look forward to keeping my eyes focused on this.
I will work with the new leadership team and all Chairpersons of Committees to ensure that by the end of our term, we have kept the promise and made our people proud.
In doing so, just like in the words of James Buchanan who served as the 15th President of the United States and I quote “The test of leadership is not to put greatness into humanity, but to elicit it, for the greatness is already there” I commit to continue bringing out the greatness that already exist among the Kenyan People.
Finally, I am aware that the Member for Kieni Constituency and the Chairperson of the Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, Hon Kanini Kega is allegedly collecting signatures from Members to impeach me and supersede the decision of the His Excellency the President and the Party Leader of Jubilee Party and the Party approving my position as a Majority Leader.
Threats and blackmail
Kieni Member of National Assembly Kanini Kega. PHOTO/COURTESY
This is, however, not new to Hon Kanini Kega. He is notoriously known for being the king of extortion who thrives in threats and blackmail.
He has perfected the art of extortion so well that all he does is to purport to collect signatures only for him thereafter to solicit for favors from myself and my friends as a bait for withdrawal of signatures. Unfortunately, we are used to his antics and threats and we are not boarding.
His tricks, unfortunately, has even killed the Committee on Trade – one of the most important Committees in the House – which he chairs. Members cannot be led by an extortionist and as a result attendance is nearly zero and has rendered the Committee as dead as a dodo.
How else would you explain a second term Member of Parliament, who already knows the rules of procedure for removal of a Leader of Majority, feigning ignorance and purporting to collect signatures?
The National Assembly Standing Order 19 is clear on the process for removal of a Majority Leader which is by a majority of votes of all Members of the Majority Party in a Parliamentary Group [meeting] chaired by the Party Leader and the decision thereafter is communicated by the Majority Whip to the Speaker.
There is no place for collection of signatures.
Usual extortion game
In any case the process was already completed yesterday in the Parliamentary Group chaired by His Excellency the President which Hon Kanini Kega also attended.
What Hon Kanini Kega is, however, doing is to lie to his colleagues through unknown procedures that he can still have a say in the removal process when he is just playing his usual extortion game.
I am also aware that Hon Kanini Kega may be also shedding tears of loss and nursing a disappointment having believed in his mind that he was to be the next Majority Leader. Yesterday, Jubilee Parliamentary Group meeting however made his dreams end in a bang.
Hon Kanini Kega, please note that being a Leader of Majority is not as easy as ABCD. It takes zeal, hard work, servant leadership, expertise, professionalism, experience and having the people of Kenya in your heart.
Question is, if you killed the Committee on Trade which you chair through incompetence can you handle the position of the Leader of Majority Party?
Let us move on and work for the people of Kenya and avoid unnecessary and useless tactics which are purely political and selfish.
Our people are looking up to us to perform our duties with excellence, join me in working for them!
Thank you.
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