Orengo Announces Fate of Mutula Junior in Ongoing Senate Purge

AfricaPress-Kenya: Siaya Senator and Senate Minority Leader James Orengo, on Monday, March 29, dismissed reports alleging a hatched scheme to remove Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior as the Senate’s Chief Minority Whip.

Media reports had circulated online of an alleged scheme to oust Junior from the position to which Orengo termed them as fallacious and malicious.

“This is a fallacious and malicious story. The Minority in the Senate have full confidence in the leadership of Senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior as Chief Minority Whip,” Orengo responded to the media reports.

Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo speaking in the Senate on Monday, August 17, 2020.

The reports insinuated that the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) is planning to crack the whip on National Super Alliance (NASA) members who broke away to form a new coalition.

Junior, a close ally to former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, is the vice-chair of the Wiper Party, which recently showed allegiance to a new political formation.

The One Kenya Alliance brings together ANC party leader Musalia Mudavadi, Wiper party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Kanu’s Gideon Moi, and Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetangula.

Kakamega Senator Cleophas Malala was recently ejected from the position of Senate Deputy Minority Leader after going against ODM in the Matungu by-election where the ANC candidate won.

The four heads lamented on the current state of the country citing that Kenyans had been exposed to a toxic nature.

“Today, we mark the beginning of a journey with a clear purpose to unite this country through a transformative agenda that seeks to create equal opportunities for all Kenyans.

“This alliance is a breath of fresh air from the toxic and divisive politics this country has witnessed in the recent past,” Wetangula stated during a press briefing.

The NASA coalition partners have in the past expressed dissatisfaction over ODM leader Raila Odinga who refused to rally behind one of them for the top seat.

They added that they had stood with Raila over the years and it was his turn to back one of them for Presidency to which Raila faulted them for not being by his side during his swearing-in as the People’s President in 2018.