People’s Daily newspaper has reported that President William Ruto has intensified efforts to shield National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula from an impeachment push.
The looming threat follows Wetang’ula’s declaration that the Kenya Kwanza coalition holds the majority in Parliament, a decision that has angered opposition MPs from the Azimio La Umoja coalition.
Many opposition lawmakers accuse Wetang’ula of bias, arguing that he is undermining the opposition’s influence in the House.
The declaration has deepened divisions in Parliament, with Azimio MPs insisting that Wetang’ula’s ruling is unconstitutional and politically motivated.
In response, President Ruto has launched a behind-the-scenes operation to protect Wetang’ula. Sources indicate that State House has been actively lobbying MPs to prevent any impeachment motion from gaining traction.
Senior government officials have reportedly held high-level meetings to neutralize opposition threats. Wetang’ula has also received backing from a section of MPs from his home region, the Western bloc, who claim that he is being unfairly targeted.
They argue that the push for his removal is not about constitutional matters but rather political battles aimed at weakening Kenya Kwanza’s hold on Parliament.
Reports suggest that key parliamentary leaders, including Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah and Minority Leader Junet Mohamed, were invited to State House for discussions.
The meeting was meant to address the tensions caused by Wetang’ula’s ruling. However, Junet Mohamed was absent, which frustrated Ruto’s attempts to negotiate a way forward.
Meanwhile, opposition lawmakers escalated their protest by boycotting a parliamentary session, a move interpreted as a demonstration against Wetang’ula’s decision.
The opposition remains determined to challenge the ruling, with leaders such as Suna East MP Junet Mohamed and Suba South MP Millie Odhiambo leading the calls for impeachment.
Western region MPs have come out strongly in defense of Wetang’ula, led by Teso South MP Mary Emase. They argue that the push to remove the Speaker is a political witch-hunt designed to tarnish his reputation.
These MPs have also criticized sections of the media, accusing them of spreading misleading narratives to portray Wetang’ula negatively.
They insist that his decision to declare Kenya Kwanza as the majority was based on legal grounds.Wetang’ula’s ruling follows a High Court decision that nullified his earlier declaration on the majority status.
In his updated ruling, he referenced post-election agreements filed with the Registrar of Political Parties. He argued that defections from Azimio to Kenya Kwanza were a critical factor in determining the coalition’s majority.
The opposition, however, sees this as a manipulation of the law to benefit Ruto’s administration.
The battle over parliamentary control is far from over, with both sides digging in for a prolonged political fight.
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