A move to bring Speaker Moses Masika Wetangula under censure was rejected by the National Assembly.
The House can only discuss the Speaker’s behavior if a substantive motion is introduced by a sitting Member of Parliament, according to a letter written by Clerk Samuel Njoroge, which outlined the reasons for the petition’s dismissal.
Grassroot Civilian Oversight initiative executive director Laban Omusundi was eager to see Wetang’ula slapped with a censure motion on a number of grounds, so his reaction to Parliament’s rejoinder will be a blow.
The petitioners contended that Wetang’ula participated in actions that violated the impartiality and independence expected of a Speaker of the National Assembly.
Since only a disgruntled Member of Parliament has the authority to challenge the Speaker’s actions, the National Assembly Clerk maintained that the accusations were invalid.
Wetangula has faced a barrage of criticism from both National Assembly members and regular Kenyans. On Wednesday, February 12, the Speaker proclaimed that Kenya Kwanza maintains the majority coalition and Azimio the minority, courting controversy by defying a High Court decision.
On Wednesday, February 12, the Speaker of Parliament stated that the parliamentary leadership would not change and provided a number of reasons why he thought the High Court’s decision was wrong.
Members of Parliament who support Azimio vowed to challenge the decision and work to have the court’s original finding upheld, putting his action at risk of creating a division in the National Assembly.
The leaders of the Azimio Coalition, led by the current Minority Leader Junet Mohamed, announced that they would remove their members from influential committees, such as the House Business Committee (HBC), a vital National Assembly committee responsible for planning and overseeing the legislative agenda.
