Appointment of ODM leaders that seek to join government through informal coalition now lies in the hands of the court
By THEDISPATCH.DIGITAL REPORTER
A petition has been filed seeking to stop the appointment of top Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) leaders recently nominated by President William Ruto to join the Cabinet.
The petition, submitted by Julius Ogogoh through the Commission for Human Rights and Justice, argues that the appointment of ODM leaders John Mbadi, Hassan Joho, Opiyo Wandayi, and Wycliffe Oparanya into Cabinet positions will conflict with the opposition’s constitutional mandate to provide oversight on the government.
“Given the fact that the Interested Parties, as members of the official opposition coalition in the National Assembly, have a constitutional duty to oversee the functions of the Executive and other arms of the government, the nomination and appointment of the Interested Parties into the Cabinet and/or government as secretaries shall conflict with their constitutional duty bestowed upon the opposition party by the people of Kenya and the constitution to provide checks and balances,” Ogogoh stated in the petition.
The petition emphasizes that the appointment of these ODM leaders into the government undermines the opposition’s role and violates the constitutional rights of Kenyan citizens. It argues that this move amounts to a violation of the constitution and a betrayal of the trust placed in the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Alliance and the ODM by the people of Kenya.
“The Petitioners and the entire citizenry of Kenya stand to suffer great prejudice and a violation and infringement of their constitutional rights, as this amounts to an utter violation of the constitution of Kenya and betrayal of the trust bestowed upon the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Alliance (coalition) and the Orange Democratic Party by the people of Kenya,” the petition reads in part.
The petition calls for immediate action to prevent the appointments, highlighting the need to maintain the integrity of the opposition’s oversight role in the government. But Ruto-allied blogger, Robert Alai, who sometimes speaks the mind of the ruling elite and agitated for the nomination of the Opposition leaders to the Cabinet quickly accused former President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua of taking the petition to court. Alai has previously published unverified claims about the former President allegedly bullying Raila Odinga and trying to intimidate him from going into an alliance with President Ruto, which Raila went into anyway.