‪Drama In Parliament As Azimio Leadership Takes Majority Side Seats‬

The National Assembly Minority Leadership on Tuesday took seats on the majority side following a court ruling that declared Azimio La Umoja Coalition Party the majority in the House.

This took place as the House resumed sittings on Tuesday as Azimio legiuslators occupied the right side of the chamber.

The MPs blocked Deputy Majority Leader Owen Baya from tabling reports as required by the Standing Orders.

Following this Suba North Member of Parliament Millie Odhiambo petitioned Speaker Moses Wetangula to cede office to Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss citing the court ruling on bias.

Wetangula however declined saying there was not susbstantive motion and that the court did not order him to vacate.

He pointed out that the House has the final say on its proceedings promising final verdict on contest over Majority seats.

“I have read the judgment with a fine-tooth comb, and nowhere does it cast aspersions on the Speaker. Yours truly, as your Speaker, does not engage in debate—do not go down that route,” Wetangula stated.

He further emphasized that the National Assembly, and by extension Parliament, is an independent arm of government and that no external entity has the authority to dictate its conduct.

“It will ultimately be yours truly who gives the ruling. Neither the court nor any other organization can make decisions on behalf of this House. We sit as a quasi-judicial body,” he remarked.

In its ruling, the three-judge bench consisting of Justices John Chigiti, Lawrence Mugambi, and Jairus Ngaah contended that Speaker Moses Wetangula should have followed the law when he declared Kenya Kwanza the Majority Party.

It argued that Wetangula had violated the constitution in issuing the ruling on  October 6 2022 on the floor of the house which was deemed ‘Solomonic’.

He had ruled that Kenya Kwanza has 179 members in the House against Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party’s 157.

However, the ruling coalition emerged as the majority following a post-coalition agreement as 14 members from the opposition coalition and independent candidates shifted to Azimio.

“By assigning Kenya Kwanza the 14 members of the parties without any reason and declaring Kenya Kwanza as the majority leader, it follows that the Speaker violated the Constitution,” the court ruled.

In the judgment, the bench emphasized that the Speaker is supposed to act as a neutral arbiter.

The case, filed in 2023 by 12 registered voters, challenged Wetangula’s continued leadership of Ford Kenya despite his election as Speaker.

The petitioners argued that his dual role is unconstitutional, given that the Speaker is required to be a neutral arbiter.

The petitioners contended that as Speaker, Wetangula is an ex-officio member of the Kenya Kwanza coalition’s parliamentary group, making his political impartiality questionable. The court agreed, ruling that holding both positions simultaneously is unlawful.

“The duo role is unlawful and unconstitutional,” the three-judge bench consisting of Justices John Chigiti, Lawrence Mugambi, and Jairus Ngaah noted.

Wetangula has faced mounting pressure to step down as Ford Kenya leader, with critics arguing that his political affiliations compromise his ability to preside over parliamentary affairs fairly.