Kitui County Assembly Speaker Kevin Kinengo Katisya has resigned as a member of the Wiper Democratic Movement’s National Executive Council (WDM-NEC), saying his position in the party’s top organ was interfering with his impartial role as Speaker.
In a resignation letter addressed to the Wiper Secretary General and copied to party leader Kalonzo Musyoka and Kitui Assembly Majority Leader Harrison Maluki Mawia, Kinengo stated that his dual role had become untenable.
“I hereby tender my resignation as a member of the WDM-NEC with effect from the date of this letter. This decision to resign has been informed by the following reasons, among others,” he began
Kinengo said his membership in the Wiper NEC appeared to create a conflict of interest and affect his impartiality in the discharge of his duties as Speaker of the Kitui County Assembly.
“The position of Speaker requires impartiality and neutrality in all assembly proceedings, as the assembly is composed of members drawn from diverse political parties. As the Speaker, it is my duty to preside over the business of the assembly without favouritism or bias. Article 178(1) mandates that the Speaker be elected from outside the County Assembly, and this underscores the importance of neutrality in balancing the interests of all MCAs and mandates engagement with leaders across several political divides,” he said.
Kinengo noted that the party often expected him to enforce its decisions on the affairs of its members in the assembly, even when some of those decisions went against the Standing Orders of the County Assembly and other laws.
“In some instances, the decisions of the WDM-NEC directly violate the Standing Orders of the County Assembly of Kitui and other laws. This creates a conflict between my duties as a member of the WDM-NEC and my constitutional roles as the Speaker of the County Assembly of Kitui,” he said.
He further expressed frustration that the party had failed to shield him during political battles in the county assembly, despite defending other leaders in similar situations.
“While the County Assembly of Kitui has representation of MCAs drawn from diverse political parties, I have faced two impeachment motions sponsored by some members of my party, and the party has never intervened to stop or discourage such impeachments despite doing so during the impeachment of the Deputy Speaker of Kitui and CECM Finance in Kitui County. This demonstrates the difficult position I find myself in being a member of the WDM-NEC since the party seems not to have my best interests at heart,” he said.
Kinengo on impartiality
The Speaker accused the party of questioning his interactions with leaders from other political formations, saying this hindered his constitutional duty to remain neutral.
“The party wrote me a show cause letter for meeting the President and the Deputy President of the Republic of Kenya, who are also the Party Leader and the Deputy Party Leader of the UDA party, respectively. This restriction by the party has the effect of limiting my roles as the Speaker of the County Assembly of Kitui,” Kinengo stated.
He added that he had been removed from the WDM-NEC WhatsApp group by the party’s Executive Director without explanation.
“This is sufficient reason to believe that I am no longer needed at the WDM-NEC,” he said.
Kinengo emphasised that his decision was driven by the need to protect the integrity of his office.
He stressed that his resignation from the NEC would not affect his membership in the Wiper party.
“I wish to emphasise that my resignation from the WDM-NEC does not affect my membership in the party, and I will continue being a member of the party until I decide otherwise. My political rights are guaranteed by Article 38 of the Constitution of Kenya 2010, and I will expect the party to respect my political rights,” he said.
Kinengo thanked the party leadership for the opportunity to serve in the NEC.
“I take this opportunity to convey my sincere gratitude to the party and the party leader for entrusting me with the honour of serving in this capacity. It has been a privilege to contribute to the party’s vision, and I deeply appreciate the support, guidance and confidence extended to me during my tenure.”
Leave a comment