Siaya Governor James Orengo has urged lawmakers from the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) to stand firm and reclaim their rightful position in Parliament following a major court ruling on Friday, February 7.
In its ruling, the High Court overturned National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula’s decision to recognize President William Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Coalition as the majority in Parliament.
This ruling effectively declared the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition as the rightful majority party.
Speaking on Saturday during the funeral of Mzee Richard Ochieng Oloo, Orengo argued that the court’s decision proved ODM and Azimio had won more parliamentary seats in the 2022 elections.
According to him, the ruling also raised serious doubts about the accuracy of the official presidential election results.
“What the High Court has confirmed is that the election results announced during the last polls were not correct.
It is now clear that Raila Odinga’s party and coalition could not have secured the majority of seats in Parliament while losing the presidential election at the same time,” Orengo stated.
The Siaya Governor then issued a strong call to ODM leaders, urging them to fully claim their newfound majority position in Parliament.
He warned against engaging in negotiations with President Ruto’s allies, emphasizing that the court ruling had already secured their rightful status.
“I am telling my party, ODM, that this ruling must not be taken lightly. Do not give it away. Instead of sitting at the table with those in power, you must take what the court has declared belongs to you,” Orengo insisted.
The Bigger Picture
Following the High Court’s decision, serious questions have emerged regarding several key decisions made by the Kenya Kwanza government when it operated under its assumed majority status.
Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, who played a key role in declaring Kenya Kwanza the majority party in Parliament on October 6, 2022, has now come under scrutiny.
At the time, Wetang’ula justified his ruling by citing post-election agreements, arguing that Kenya Kwanza had 179 MPs while Azimio had 157.
However, after the latest court ruling, a group of 12 petitioners moved to court to argue that Azimio had a true majority with 171 MPs, while Kenya Kwanza only had 156.
Wetang’ula and his legal team have since downplayed the court’s ruling, calling it an “ordinary” decision with no major impact on Parliament’s current structure.
“There is no cause for alarm. What the court did was merely make some comments, which in legal terms are known as per incuriam,” Wetang’ula’s lawyers stated.
He further argued that coalitions are flexible and constantly evolving, both before and after elections.
Despite Wetang’ula’s reassurances, uncertainty now looms over Parliament as it prepares to resume sittings on Tuesday.
One of the biggest concerns is the reconstitution of 18 parliamentary committees whose term is set to expire.
The recent court ruling could influence the leadership of these committees, raising tensions in the National Assembly.
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