Tuesday, February 11, 2025 - National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has dismissed calls to relinquish his position to Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Shollei after the court declared his dual role as Speaker and Ford Kenya Party Leader unconstitutional.
The High Court ruled that Wetangula should have resigned as
Ford Kenya party leader upon assuming office as Speaker and declared Azimio La
Umoja One Kenya Alliance as the rightful Majority Party.
On the House floor, Minority Whip Millie Odhiambo pressed
Wetangula to step down, citing the ruling that overturned his controversial
decision to declare Kenya Kwanza as the majority coalition.
However, Wetangula stood his ground, insisting that there was
no formal motion before the House requiring his resignation.
“I have read the judgment thoroughly, and nowhere does it
cast aspersions on the Speaker,” he stated, emphasizing Parliament’s
independence from external influence.
The court found Wetangula’s 2022 ruling on Kenya Kwanza’s
majority status unconstitutional, arguing that he assigned 14 opposition and
independent members to the ruling coalition without legal basis.
The three-judge bench ruled that his dual role as Speaker and
Ford Kenya leader compromised his neutrality.
Despite growing pressure, Wetangula remains defiant, arguing
that it is within his mandate to interpret parliamentary matters, not the
courts.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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