Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kichumba Murkomen has accused the Leader of Majority in parliament West Pokot Senator Samuel Poghisio for allowing bribery inside the chambers.
Murkomen made the remarks against the House leadership on Wednesday during the heated debate on the Political Parties Amendment Bill 2021 which was passed without amendments.
Senator Murkomen singled out the House Majority Leader Samuel Poghisio and accused him of being a passive leader who has failed to offer solid leadership since his elevation to the role.
“If history will be written of this House, it will be said there was a very silent Majority Leader who guides people on nothing in this chamber, speaks to nothing, speaks to no Bill and gets extremely irritated when debate of this House is going on. Please can we have some intellectual leadership from the Majority Leader not just coming here to vote?” he posed.
Twenty-eight Senators voted for the Bill against four who opposed it. Senator Murkomen, Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, Kericho Senator Aaron Cheruiyot and Laikipia Senator John Kinyua opposed the Bill.
The quartet all allies of the Deputy President William Ruto put up a spirited show but their submissions were repulsed by the pro-handshake team comprising of President Uhuru Kenyatta and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s allies.
Poghisio did not however, take Murkomen’s remarks lightly. He fired back and told off Murkomen saying he had a personal vendetta against him since his unceremonious ouster as the House Majority Leader.
“Senator Murkomen is a very angry man that he is not the Majority Leader and it is not my fault. This anger that Murkomen carries is really causing a lot of problems, not only here even outside Parliament he is still angry with me everywhere he goes,” he said.
Senator Cherargei alleged that his 28 colleagues were bribed with Sh100,000 each to vote for the Bill that now awaits presidential assent.
“This law will not be allowed and it is unfortunate because Parliament will be embarrassed by the courts of law because the process has been shrouded in violence, intimidation, blackmail and bribery. My colleagues were being intimidated. You could tell even when we are doing the debate you could tell from across the aisle people who were in morbid fear,” he said.
He said a team of lawyers are already preparing to move to court to challenge the constitutionality of the Bill that has paved way for the formation of coalition political parties.
Senate Speaker is expected to transmit the Bill back to his National Assembly counterpart Justin Muturi who will then forward it to President Uhuru Kenyatta for assenting.
