Speaker Job Ndugai draws ire for shielding expelled Chadema MPs

Dar es Salaam. Speaker of Parliament Job Ndugai has vowed to protect rebel members of parliament (MPs) who have been expelled from the main opposition party Chadema.
Mr Ndugai announced on Monday evening, May 11, 2020, during the adjournment of the House business that he would offer the expelled MPs a shield to continue with their work. 
The decision to side with the opposition MPs has stirred debate on social media, with the Speaker coming under attack for breach of the constitution.
The MPs who were expelled are Anthony Komu (Moshi Rural), Joseph Selasini (Rombo), David Silinde (Momba) and Wilfred Lwakatare (Bukoba Urban). They were stripped off their party membership after they were accused of going against the Chadema’s directive to stay away from Parliament over the coronavirus infect ion fears.
Chadema also gave a warning to several other MPs who were, however, spared the expulsion.
The MPs did not heed the party’s directive and have been attending ongoing sessions in Dodoma. Their counterparts are on self-quarantine for the second week now.
Mr Ndugai’s move has been widely criticized as it portrays inconsistency in his decision making and in ensuring strict adherence to the law.
The offer to protect the ‘rebel’ MPs contradicts his actions in the past when he moved swiftly to declare seats of similarly expelled MPs from Civic United Front (CUF) and the ruling party, CCM, vacant.
Videos of the Speaker making the controversial rulings on the MPs were widely shared as netizens explained his two sides of the matter. 
While on Tuesday, Mr Ndugai suggested he would not acknowledge Chadema’s verdict to expel their MPs, in the past he cited CUF’s and CCM’s letters stripping off their MPs as enough to eject them from Parliament. 
According to the constitution, one shall cease being a Member of Parliament should he or he lose membership of the party that sponsored his or her candidature.