Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna has been removed from the Senate’s Energy Committee after the House approved changes to the membership of several standing committees in a reshuffle that took effect on Wednesday.

The changes, tabled by Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot, saw Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang appointed to the Energy Committee in place of Sifuna. Nominated Senator Abdul Mohamed Haji also joined the committee, replacing nominated Senator Beatrice Akinyi Ogolla.

Ogolla was reassigned to the Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries Committee, while Senator Agnes Kavindu moved to the Information, Communication and Technology Committee as part of the wider restructuring approved by the Senate.

Sifuna was the only high-profile senator affected by the reshuffle who was not immediately assigned to a new standing committee. He will, however, continue serving on the Senate County Public Accounts Committee and the Senate National Security, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee.

Although the Senate presented the changes as part of a routine reorganisation of committee memberships, Sifuna’s removal has drawn political attention because it comes amid his public differences with some senior figures in the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) over the party’s cooperation with President William Ruto’s administration.

Neither the Senate nor the Senate Business Committee offered a specific reason for Sifuna’s removal from the Energy Committee, and there was no indication during the proceedings that the changes were linked to any disciplinary action or performance concerns.

Standing committees are responsible for scrutinising legislation, examining policy proposals and overseeing the work of government ministries and state agencies. Changes to committee membership are periodically made to reflect parliamentary priorities and the composition of the House.

The latest reshuffle takes effect immediately as the reconstituted committees continue their legislative and oversight work under the revised membership.