Article | Pan-African News Portal

Kenya National Assembly Reshuffles Committees: Caroli Omondi Ousted from Key Constitutional Oversight RoleNairobi, February 25, 2026 – In a politically charged move on February 24, 2026, Kenya's National Assembly approved a major reshuffle of its committees, resulting in the removal of Suba South MP Caroli Omondi as Chairperson of the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC). The CIOC is responsible for monitoring the implementation of the 2010 Constitution, including critical aspects related to electoral processes and reforms—making the position highly significant ahead of the 2027 general elections.The reshuffle, tabled by National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah and passed during a turbulent session, reflects adjustments to committee compositions following recent by-elections that strengthened the ruling United Democratic Alliance (UDA)'s parliamentary numbers. This allowed UDA-aligned MPs to reclaim or gain additional influential slots.Key changes include:

Caroli Omondi, a vocal Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) figure and recently appointed Secretary General of the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition, was removed from the CIOC chairmanship and reassigned as a member of the less prominent Sports and Culture Committee.
His replacement as CIOC Chairperson is Githunguri MP Gathoni Wamuchomba, who has recently aligned with the broad-based government arrangement between ODM and President William Ruto's Kenya Kwanza coalition.
Other ODM MPs labeled as "rebels" for opposing the broad-based government deal—such as Kitutu Chache South MP Anthony Kibagendi (removed as Vice Chairperson of the Public Investments Committee on Governance and Education) and Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga—were also stripped of powerful roles and moved to weaker committees.

Omondi strongly condemned the reshuffle, describing it as irregular, targeted, and politically motivated. He accused Majority Leader Ichung'wah and Minority Leader Junet Mohamed of orchestrating the move to undermine independent oversight of the upcoming elections. "They don’t want me to chair CIOC because they know I’m going to oversight elections... They want to rig the election, that is why they don’t want me in CIOC," Omondi stated during protests in the House and in subsequent media appearances.Ichung'wah defended the changes as a standard, routine exercise to balance party representation in line with Standing Orders and the House's increased UDA strength post-by-elections. He dismissed claims of personal targeting, emphasizing that committee allocations follow parliamentary rules and recent electoral shifts.The reshuffle has intensified internal divisions within ODM ahead of the 2027 polls, highlighting tensions between factions supporting the broad-based government cooperation with Kenya Kwanza and those resisting it as a betrayal of opposition principles. Critics view the moves as an effort to consolidate control over constitutional and electoral oversight bodies amid shifting political alliances.The developments were widely reported by major Kenyan outlets including Citizen Digital, Nation Africa, The Star, Capital FM, and others, with coverage peaking in the hours following the February 24 session. Speaker Moses Wetang'ula later clarified that such reshuffles are leadership-driven decisions, not under the Speaker's direct authority, and ensured affected MPs like Omondi remain assigned to committees.

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Kenya National Assembly Reshuffles Committees: Caroli Omondi Ousted from Key Constitutional Oversight RoleNairobi, February 25, 2026

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