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Parliament adjourns prematurely after chaos erupts over Majority party ruling


National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has ruled that Kenya Kwanza is the majority party in the House and Azimio is the minority party.

The Speaker made the ruling after determining that Kenya Kwanza has 179 MPs against Azimio la Umoja’s 157 MPs.

As a result, Wetang’ula ruled that Kikuyu MP Kimani Ichung’wa as Majority Leader, while Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi as the Majority Leader.

However, the ruling was bitterly contested by Azimio MPs who protested loudly in the House forcing Wetang’ula to prematurely adjourn the remaining business of the House.

One MP was seen attempting to grab the mace amid the protest before the Serjeant-at-arms intervened. The Speaker adjourned the House until Tuesday next week.

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“Order honourable members! This House stands adjourned until Tuesday the 11th of October, 2022 at 2:30pm,” Wetang’ula ruled.

Wetang’ula had prior to the adjournment said that he received a letter from Ugenya MP David Ochieng saying his Movement for Democracy and Growth (MDG) is no longer a member to Azimio, same with PAA party of Senate Speaker Amason Kingi and United Democratic Movement (UDM) of Ali Roba.

Wetang’ula said the Registrar of Political Parties insisted that the three parties that had 14 MPs elected to the National Assembly are still members of Azimio.

But in his ruling, the Speaker said that while the Registrar of Political Parties is right, the freedom of association and post-election agreement that was signed by the three parties with Kenya Kwanza Alliance cannot be ignored.

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“The place of members of UDM, PAA, MCCP and MDG; in my considered opinion, it would be imprudent to treat the 14 members elected to the House under these parties as part of the coalition that they have expressly distance themselves from,” Wetang’ula said.

He also said that his ruling considered various coercion, and duress to some parties at the time of entering into coalition agreements with Azimio.

“I’m therefore persuaded that the 14 members and their parties are part of Kenya Kwanza coalition,” he ruled.

This means Azimio will be required to regularise its leadership in the House. The party had nominated its leaders as a majority party.

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