On Tuesday, Mbita Member of Parliament Millie Odhiambo asked the National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula to step down and allow Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss Shollei to lead the House following the High Court ruling last week.
According to high court, Wetang’ula’s decision declaring Kenya Kwanza the majority in the National Assembly was null and void.
Since the members entered the House at 2:30pm there was a tense mood in the House, and as Owen Baya, the Deputy Majority Leader in the National Assembly, stood to lay papers, MPs allied to the opposition started to oppose with heckling and shouting.
Millie who called herself as the Majority Whip, stood on a point of order and asked Wetangula to resign which has led the House to debate.
She went on to submit the Azimio Coalition’s Majority Leaders and Deputy Majority Leaders as Junet Mohamed and Robbert Mbui respectively.
However, in his rejoinder, Wetang’ula said there is no special motion before the floor of the House seeking his removal.
“I have read that judgment with a toothcomb and there nowhere it requires me to resign.Neither the court nor any other authority outside this Chamber can make a declaration that affects the conduct of business here except yourselves by voting and the speaker giving you rulings,” he said.
According to Wetangula, a motion was brought to the 10th Parliament by MP Patrick Musimba to discuss the conduct and possible vacation of office of then-Speaker Justin Muturi. Muturi preceded the motion, and MPs went on to vote and Muturi survived.
Wetangula insisted that he would listen to any motion brought by any MP and rule fairly. “I will listen to you and I assure you I will give you a fair finding. It is like going to court and telling a judge because the lawyer appearing before him was his classmate he will not be fair. That has no standing in law or fact,” he asserted.
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