Members of the national assembly have been divided by the high court ruling outlawing speaker Moses Wetangula’s declaration that granted Kenya kwanza alliance the majority.
Speaker Moses Wetangula insists that the High Court ruling issued last week did not directly declare any political entity as the majority leaving the house in a state of limbo.
Speaking after resuming house business Wetangula has said it is only the National Assembly Speaker who has the authority to declare who holds the majority in the House.
“The judgement quashed the direction of the Speaker on the majority and minority. It never declared who is the majority,” Wetangula said.
Wetangula has rejected calls by Minority Whip Millie Odhiambo to relinquish his position to Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Shollei, following a court ruling that questioned his impartiality as a neutral arbiter.
Wetangula argued that there was no substantive motion before the House to warrant his resignation. He also maintained that the ruling did not cast any aspersions on his conduct.
“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.
The High Court declared Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Alliance coalition as the Majority Party in the National Assembly with Rarieda MP Otiende holding that the speaker ought to have ratified the judgement as soon as the the Azimio side tabled the next majority leaders
And when playing the game of numbers, Kikuyu Lawmaker Kimani Ichungwa criticized the high court ruling stating that some members of Azimio constituent parties can enjoy association to the ruling party nullifying the decision that Azimo is the majority for having 179 member against KK 157
On October 6, 2022, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula ruled that the Kenya Kwanza Alliance was the majority coalition after 14 MPs from the Azimio La Umoja Coalition Party defected to the ruling coalition, tipping the balance in Kenya Kwanza’s favor and allowing it to claim majority status.