NAIROBI, Kenya – A dramatic standoff unfolded in the National Assembly on Tuesday as opposition lawmakers defied tradition by occupying seats reserved for the majority party.
Led by Junet Mohamed, Millie Odhiambo, and Robert Mbui, the Azimio La Umoja MPs disrupted proceedings, preventing Deputy Majority Leader Owen Baya from tabling reports as stipulated by the House Standing Orders.
The move came in the wake of a recent High Court ruling that overturned National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula’s 2022 decision, which had declared the Kenya Kwanza Alliance as the majority coalition.
The court found that Wetang’ula had no constitutional basis for his ruling, reinstating Azimio as the rightful majority in Parliament.
As the House resumed its sessions after a two-month recess, Azimio lawmakers took seats on the right-hand side of the chamber, a space traditionally designated for government-aligned MPs.
Their protest effectively stalled the proceedings, highlighting the ongoing power struggle between the two coalitions.
The dispute dates back to October 6, 2022, when Wetang’ula ruled that Kenya Kwanza had secured the majority after 14 Azimio MPs defected to the ruling coalition.
This decision tipped the numerical advantage in Kenya Kwanza’s favor, granting it control of the House.
However, the High Court later quashed this ruling, declaring it unconstitutional and reaffirming Azimio’s majority status.
In a verdict, Justices John Chigiti, Lawrence Mugambi, and Jairus Ngaah criticized Wetang’ula’s handling of the matter, emphasizing that the Speaker had acted beyond his mandate.
The judges ruled that the Speaker cannot override official records from the Registrar of Political Parties, which as of April 2022, recognized Azimio as comprising 26 political parties, compared to Kenya Kwanza’s 15.
“The Speaker cannot fault the Registrar of Political Parties. She could not provide what she did not have. The Speaker ought to have presented the agreements that were allegedly submitted during the debate. Without the post-election coalition agreements, he had no basis for his decision,” the court ruled.
The judges further underscored the Speaker’s responsibility to remain impartial, warning that any deviation from constitutional principles could erode public trust in Parliament.
“By assigning Kenya Kwanza the 14 members from other parties without justification and declaring it the majority party, the Speaker violated the Constitution,” they stated.
