National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula yesterday declared Kenya Kwanza the bonafide majority party in parliament and Azimio One Kenya party is the minority side. Kenya Kwanza took the lead after bagging 179 MPs against Azimio’s 157 MPs. The speaker considered MPs from the United Democratic Party (UDM), Pamoja African Alliance (PAA), Movement for Democracy and Growth (MDG) and Maendeleo Chap Chap (MCC) to be under Kenya Kwanza despite Azimio legislators initially arguing that those parties were bound by the coalition’s pre-election agreements.
According to the speaker, as of April 21, 2022, Azimio had 171 Members of parliament while Kenya Kwanza had 165 but this had since changed after he received formal written letters from four parties denouncing their association with the Azimio One Kenya party.
With this ruling, the House leadership now is as follows: Kimani Ichungwa is the leader of the majority party and will be deputized by Owen Baya. Silvanus Osoro takes the majority party whip position and he will be deputized by Naomi Jillo Waqo.
Kenya Kwanza now takes control of both the Senate and the National Assembly in what many see as the President’s desire to control the legislature. Less than 24 hours before this ruling, the President had made a surprise visit to parliament, a move that elicited mixed reactions from a section of MPs
Earlier in the day, Nairobi senator Edwin Sifuna explained why President Ruto wanted Kenya Kwanza to be declared the majority side in the National Assembly. “I understand why president Ruto wants to have control of Parliament, he knows if Azimio has control of the committees, there are names that can’t be CSs in this country.” – Nairobi Senator, Edwin Sifuna.
Kenya Kwanza now takes control of both the Senate and the National Assembly in what many see as the President’s desire to control the legislature. Less than 24 hours before this ruling, the President had made a surprise visit to parliament, a move that elicited mixed reactions from a section of MPs.
Some saw this visit as an attempt to influence the decision of the Speaker on the matter. Mwingi West MP Charles Nguna said, “We have seen it, tomorrow I am expecting the Speaker to not even declare Azimio as the majority.” The MP for Lang’ata, Phelix Odiwuor, also known as Jalang’o, on his part did not read much into the President’s visits saying, “If you saw the President, he came down and it was an easy thing, I don’t think it should influence anything. The President’s lunch and the leadership of this House should not be put together anywhere.”
The country will now wait to see how this declaration by the Speaker will impact House business amid the speculation that the Azimio coalition will seek an interpretation on this matter in a court of law. Legally, these parties would only have been allowed to leave the Azimio coalition three months after the election, but Speaker Wetangula thought otherwise. “Allegations were made by several members on alleged coercion and duress while entering into agreements with one of the coalitions. This, if true, is a serious affront to the democratic rights and freedoms that we enjoy in this country,” He said.
“This implies that the letter from the Registrar may not be used to compute the membership of the majority and minority parties by dint of the admission contained in it on the existing Constitutional petitions and objections.”
“With the 14 members, Kenya Kwanza coalition membership stands at 179 MPs, while the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition party is the minority in this House.” Speaker Wetangula added. After his ruling, Speaker Moses Wetangula reiterated that his decision was final and no one could overturn it.
Consequently, Kenya Kwanza will now elect its majority leader while Azimio members will have to select the minority leader as it had only presented its majority leader nominee.
By Alvine Opicho and Lavin Atieno
