Majority of MPs and senators allied to Cord skipped President Uhuru Kenyatta’s Parliament address yesterday.
The coalition’s leadership was conspicuously absent, making good the opposition’s threat to boycott the session.
On Sunday, Senate minority leader Moses Wetang’ula and opposition whip Johnstone Muthama urged Cord MPs to give the address a wide berth. They argued Uhuru was to use the session to address them on his ICC summons, which they said is not a national issue.
However, a section of Cord rebel MPs from the Coast and Western Kenya, led by Senate deputy minority leader Hassan Abdurrahman attended the session.
Kilifi North MP Gedion Mung’aro, John Waluke (Sirisia), Simon Ogari (Bomachoge Chache), Samwel Arama ( Nakuru Town west) and Joseph Nkaissery (Kajiado Central) attended.
Others were Paul Otuoma (Funyula) and Peter Kaluma (Homa Bay Town). Before Uhuru addressed a joint session of Parliament, he held meetings with the Cabinet and the National Security Council at State House.
The meetings discussed nation’s sovereignty, AU resolutions and the President’s pre-election promise that the ICC matter was a personal challenge, not a national issue.
He and Ruto had promised Kenyans they would treat their ICC trial as a personal matter. Uhuru told the NSC he will attend the ICC status conference as an individual, not as president.
The idea to hand over power to Deputy President William Ruto was mooted before a full Cabinet meeting was convened in the afternoon. Uhuru was keen to abide by the African Union resolutions last year that no sitting head of state should be tried before an international court.
