The Senate purge against those opposed to the broad-based government is now targeting Vihiga Senator Godffrey Osotsi and his Nakuru counterpart Tabitha Karanja, the Star can reveal.
The Star is privy to a plan hatched to remove the two senators from both committee and House leadership because of their opposition to President William Ruto’s re-election.
While Osotsi has aligned himself with the Linda Mwananchi movement, an ODM faction opposed to Ruto’s re-election, Karanja is being accused of having links with former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua.
Osotsi chairs the Senate County Public Investments and Special Funds Committee (CPIC) while Karanja is the Deputy Majority Leader in the Senate.
Sources in ODM say a scheme is underway to kick out Osotsi from the oversight committee months after he was stripped of his position as ODM deputy party leader.
The Vihiga senator has been critical of the Kenya Kwanza administration and is publicly aligned to Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna whose Linda Mwananchi is plotting to challenge Ruto in next year’s general elections.
According to sources familiar with the plan, members of CPIC were on Thursday expected to table a motion expressing no confidence in Osotsi during a committee meeting, paving the way for his removal as chairman.
“Our members will raise the matter during their session for changes to the leadership of the committee. You cannot have your cake and eat it,” a senior member in the ODM leadership told the Star.
The motion was to be introduced during a session at which Nyeri Governor Mutahi Kahiga had been scheduled to appear before the committee.
However, the meeting failed to take place under unclear circumstances, effectively frustrating the planned ouster.
The Star reached out to Migori Senator Eddy Oketch, who is said to be behind the ouster bid, but he neither confirmed nor denied.
“I cannot comment,” Oketch told the Star.
Oketch is the new Deputy Minority Whip in the Senate having taken over from Sifuna who was removed from the position last week.
Osotsi's attempted removal is seen as the latest phase of an ongoing purge targeting allies of Sifuna and the Linda Mwananchi movement, which has increasingly found itself at loggerheads with the Oburu-led ODM leadership.
Osotsi had in March been removed as ODM deputy party leader in a reorganisation undertaken by the party.
Unlike Sifuna, who challenged his removal as the ODM secretary general, the Vihiga senator did not contest the party's decision.
The Star reached out to him on the intended purge and whether he had a hand in rescheduling the committee meeting that was meant to decide his fate.
He said he was aware of the plans but blamed the ODM leadership of witch-hunt because of his political position.
“This is political witch-hunt engineered by Oburu Odinga and William Ruto and implemented through Ledama (Minority Whip Ledama Olekina) and Eddy Oketch,” Osotsi said.
He said his purported ouster cannot be based on performance as the committee has outperformed since its creation.
“This committee has handled several reports, management of special funds as well as hospitals amongst others,” he said.
Observers say the latest developments point to a sustained campaign to edge out leaders perceived to be sympathetic to Sifuna as the struggle for influence within the Minority camp intensifies ahead of the 2027 general election.
In the majority wing, the Star has established that plans are afoot to removed Karanja as deputy majority leader.
Sources said she is targeted for her alleged links to Gachagua. However, the lawmaker has not publicly declared her allegiance to Gachagua
The matter has been fuelled by Karanja's bad political blood with Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika, who is a close ally of the President.
Kihika has been under sustained attacks from Gachagua, with the DCP boss vowing to ensure the governor is voted out in next year's general election.
Early this year, Gachagua and Kihika engaged in exchanges after the former DP attacked her husband.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
The latest developments come after Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna was removed as Senate Deputy Minority Whip, signals an intensifying campaign to isolate lawmakers perceived to be opposed to the broad-based political arrangement between President William Ruto's allies and the ODM party.
