This archive report was first published on 8 July 2020.
On July 8, 2020, a crucial meeting between National Assembly Majority Leader Amos Kimunya and Suna East MP Junet Mohamed finally broke the deadlock over the composition of various House committees.
The meeting, which lasted five hours, marked a significant step towards resolving the stalemate that had threatened the 'handshake' between Jubilee and ODM.
According to sources, the two leaders had largely agreed on the reconstitution of the committees, with the final list to be presented to Speaker Justin Muturi this week.
"We now have a common position on the committees. We had a meeting with the majority leader on Saturday and another on Monday and we are now okay with the list," Junet Mohamed confirmed.
Under the new agreement, ODM will chair three committees: Education, Finance and Planning, and the parliamentary Broadcasting and Library Committee. The party will also have a vice-chair's seat in the Legal Affairs and Constitution Implementation Oversight team.
ODM's Gladys Wanga is poised to chair the Finance and Planning committee, while her Busia counterpart will chair the Education team. The party is yet to identify the chair for the parliamentary Broadcasting and Library committee.
Other notable appointments include Rarieda MP Otiende Amolo as the new deputy chair of the Justice and Legal Affairs committee and Homa Bay Town MP as the new vice-chairman of the Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee.
The agreement also sees Wiper chairing the Sports, Culture and Tourism committee, with Mavoko MP Patrick Makau set to take the reins. Wiper will also produce the vice-chair for the National Cohesion and Equal Opportunity committee.
Minority Leader John Mbadi hailed the agreement as a significant step towards implementing the reform agenda of President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM party leader Raila Odinga.
