Why MPs Are Shunning Wajir Woman Rep Fatuma Gedi's Company -

Details of a strained relationship between Wajir Woman Representative Fatuma Gedi and colleagues from the North Eastern region continue to get uglier by the day.

The leaders, a majority being male colleagues, now refer to her as an operative or machinery for hire.

Recently, sources in Parliament divulged to a local media outlet that the legislators are extremely cautious when dealing with the woman rep. In fact, some completely avoid her because of fear.

It all started in 2018 when a leaked fake sex video, purported to be of the Woman Rep, hit the interwebs. It emerged that the video was fake after it was discovered that the video first leaked online in 2016 and the person in the video was not Gedi.

Using the majority leader of the National Assembly Aden Duale to obtain confidential parliament records, Gedi reportedly rushed to record statements with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) implicating four of her colleagues in parliament in the fake viral video.

Read: Wajir MP Rashid Kassim Charged With Assaulting Fatuma Gedi, Released On Ksh50,000 Bail

Amid abuse of office claims, Gedi would later appear before the Powers and Privileges Committee of the National Assembly over misuse of official information as a state officer to advance her interests.

During the session, chaired by Limuru MP Peter Mwathi, Gedi could not convince members on how she landed the confidential papers.

The privileges committee is chaired by Speaker Justin Muturi.

To date, a section of MPs believe that Duale, who represents Garissa Township constituency in parliament, used his position as Majority leader to help Gedi get the documents.

On his part, Hassan Noor, a parliamentary staff who appeared before the committee said that Gedi forced him to hand over the confidential documents to her.

Those who were implicated at the DCI are MPs Adan Keynan (Eldas), Abdihakim Osman (Fafi) and Woman reps Purity Wangui (Kirinyaga) and Rehema Jaldesa (Isiolo).

In her statement, Gedi accused the legislators of defaming her by circulating the fake sex tape. The incident sparked mixed reactions at the National Assembly corridors.

The confidential documents in question include a letter to the clerk of the National Assembly Michael Sialai summoning the four MPs to the DCI to record statements in relation to the viral video matter.

According to reports, Gedi, who is the Vice-chairperson of the house of the committee on delegated legislation was also discovered to be in controversial possession of an internal memo from Sialai seeking an advisory opinion from the house’s legal department on the DCI’s letter.

As expected by most legislators, Mwathi, after completion of Gedi’s grilling session, divulged that the legislator faces the accusations of misuse of official information, which is not available in the public domain, as a state officer to advance self-interests.

The four accused MPs appeared before the committee to interrogate Gedi. To utter surprise of the legislators present, Gedi was unable to explain why she failed to notify the speaker first before reporting the matter to the DCI even as it emerged that she had political differences with the four.

In her defence, amid tough questions on abuse of office, Gedi at one time told the committee that she was in the company of two other MPs when Noor delivered the documents to her. When she was pressed to disclose their names, Gedi claimed the documents were delivered to his driver.

To date, DCI has reportedly not probed the four legislators.

However, to Gedi, the authority investigated and summoned the MPs.

It was not the first time Gedi was appearing before the privileges committee, last year she was summoned over allegations of compromising legislators to reject the parliamentary report on the illegal importation of poisonous sugar associated with the Rai family.

In June, she hit headlines after she was allegedly assaulted by Wajir East MP Rashid Amin Kassim outside parliament buildings.

Kassim allegedly punched Gedi in her face twice, leaving her bleeding, before he was held back by Wajir West MP Ahmed Kolosh.

Kassim, who is now facing criminal charges, reportedly accused Gedi, who is a member of the Budget and Appropriations Committee, of failing to allocate money to his constituency during a recent committee visit to Wajir County.

According to legislators, who have known the two for some time, they were once inseparable and what might have led to the ugly confrontation remains unclear.

Gedi’s relationship with Wajir County government is so bad that the establishment has vowed to ensure she does not get her seat back despite bragging that she will get a direct nomination.

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