Kathiani Member of Parliament Robert Mbui has accused National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula of bias against lawmakers allied to the Azimio la Umoja coalition. Mbui’s allegations come in the wake of a recent High Court ruling that flagged Wetangula’s declaration of Kenya Kwanza as the majority party in Parliament as unconstitutional.
Speaking on Thursday, Mbui criticized Speaker Wetangula for what he termed as favoritism towards Kenya Kwanza MPs, arguing that the Speaker has consistently shown partiality in parliamentary proceedings. According to Mbui, Wetangula has failed in his duty to remain an impartial arbiter, thereby undermining democratic principles within the House.
“I think that the Speaker should also learn how to respect Members of Parliament. When we had the debate on the first day, he was very harsh and, in my opinion, fairly disrespectful. As a Speaker, you are not supposed to interfere with a member’s contribution,” Mbui stated.
The legislator further revealed that Azimio MPs had collectively withdrawn from the House Business Committee in protest against what they perceive as Speaker Wetangula’s unfair handling of parliamentary matters. He argued that this withdrawal would render Wetangula’s role ineffective since House business requires bipartisan participation to proceed.
“That means we are not participating in dealing with any business of the House. That also means that the House Business Committee collapses because it cannot be operating with one side,” he added. “He has no role to play until further notice until we sit down and sort this matter. It’s something we are not taking lightly.”
Mbui also hinted at the possibility of initiating proceedings to remove Wetangula from the Speakership, emphasizing that the Azimio coalition would deliberate on the matter.
“I would not vote him out myself, but as a coalition, we will sit down and discuss this matter. We will caution that he treats members differently.”
The controversy follows a ruling by a three-judge bench on February 7, which found that Wetangula had blatantly violated the Constitution by failing to step down as a party leader upon assuming the Speakership. The court also quashed his decision to declare Kenya Kwanza as the majority party, stating that the Speaker lacked a justifiable basis for the ruling.
In response, Wetangula clarified during Tuesday’s parliamentary session that the court ruling did not directly declare any party as the majority, insisting that such determinations fall within the Speaker’s jurisdiction. The debate over parliamentary leadership continues to fuel tensions between Azimio and Kenya Kwanza legislators.
