NAIROBI, KENYA — National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has reaffirmed Kenya Kwanza’s status as the Majority side in Parliament, despite a recent court ruling that revoked the ruling coalition’s official recognition.
Delivering his decision in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Wetang’ula clarified that the court did not explicitly designate which coalition holds the Majority or Minority positions.
He emphasized that the existing parliamentary composition remains unchanged, with Kenya Kwanza retaining a numerical advantage of 165 members compared to Azimio’s 154. Additionally, the Speaker directed that an appeal be filed against the High Court’s ruling.
“Arising from the foregoing, the Kenya Kwanza is the majority and the Azimio is the minority. The Leadership of the House remains unchanged,” the Speaker stated.
Azimio lawmakers, led by Suba South MP Millie Odhiambo, have opposed Speaker Moses Wetang’ula’s decision on the Majority status in Parliament. The legislators expressed their dissatisfaction and indicated that they would pursue further action to challenge his ruling.
“As Azimio we very respectfully disagree with your communication… As Azimio we are going to take further action,” Odhiambo stated.
Shortly after Speaker Moses Wetang’ula’s ruling, discontented Azimio MPs staged a walkout from the National Assembly in protest.
The Speaker’s decision comes amid ongoing controversy over which coalition rightfully holds the Majority position, following a recent High Court ruling that revoked Kenya Kwanza’s majority status.
Justices John Chigiti, Lawrence Mugambi, and Jairus Ngaah determined that Speaker Wetangula had disregarded the findings of the Registrar of Political Parties, whose records indicated that Azimio initially held the Majority position in 2022. However, this status shifted after 14 MPs defected to Kenya Kwanza.
In response to the ruling, Azimio lawmakers took over the Majority side of the chamber when Parliament resumed on Tuesday, urging Speaker Wetangula to recognize the court’s decision.
“The court decided that the Azimio side is the majority coalition. As a parliament, we need to obey court rulings even if we do not agree with them,” she said.
