The Majority Leader in the Nairobi City County Assembly and Makongeni Ward Member of the County Assembly Peter Imwatok is set to be replaced from the Assembly leadership.
According to sources at City Hall, South C MCA Abass Khalif and Upper Savannah MCA Stazo Omung’ala are in the front line set to replace Imwatok as the Leader of the Majority, even as intrigues in the county assembly deepens.
The intrigues within the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) have seen party leadership to make changes in the Nairobi City County Assembly leadership citing flaws committed by Imwatok who is seen as not having fully embraced the Broad Based Government, in which the ODM party is a key stakeholder.
Imwatok is among the biggest beneficiaries of the broad based government which has the support of President William Ruto, ODM leader Raila Odinga and Nairobi governor Johnson Sakaja.
Imwatok has been accused of engaging with ODM secretary general Edwin Sifuna where Imwatok is accused of giving important tips about the ongoing intrigues within the party to Sufuna who is considered a voice of descent within the party.
Sources privy to the information say that a decision has already been made to replace Imwatok and it is only a matter of time before a joint parliamentary group meeting of ODM and UDA parties meet to ratify the decision to kick out Imwatok.
During the recent empowerment programme held at State House , Nairobi and hosted by President William Ruto, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja mobilised over 15,000 beneficiaries who met the President and got an assortment of income generating equipment for small businesses start-up.
The empowerment program meeting was planned by Governor Sakaja who worked with Members of Parliament and MCA’s to mobilise the would be beneficiaries from their areas of jurisdiction. Sakaja worked with the Nairobi County Assembly minority leader from UDA party, Waithaka MCA Anthony Waithaka, as opposed to working with the majority leader and especially during this broad-based governance regime.
Imwatok is rumoured to be angling to be run for a parliamentary seat with the support of Sifuna. Following the election in 2022, Imwatok was appointed the Leader of Majority despite most of the MCA’s in the Assembly majority party preferring Abass Khalif over Imwatok.
However, Imwatok has been making arbitrary decisions without consulting with fellow ODM MCA’s while avoiding to embrace the broad-based spirit.
Many MCAs look at the upcoming Kariobangi North ward by- election as a litmus test as the ODM and UDA plan to field one candidate who will be supported by Sakaja and the Broad-based government against a united opposition.