South Mugirango MP Sylvanus Osoro has strongly rejected Azimio la Umoja’s bid to claim the majority position in the National Assembly, arguing that such a move could have serious implications for the House’s past decisions.
Addressing Parliament, Osoro, who previously served as the Majority Whip before a High Court ruling declared Azimio as the majority, urged legislators to assess the wider consequences of the ruling.
“What Millie Odhiambo is attempting is purely wishful thinking. It is unrealistic and cannot work,” he asserted.
His remarks followed a letter from Odhiambo to National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, in which she proposed Suna East MP Junet Mohamed as the Majority Leader, Robert Mbui as his deputy, and herself as the Majority Whip—replacing Osoro.
However, Osoro maintained that while the court overturned Wetang’ula’s initial ruling that had identified Kenya Kwanza as the majority, it did not explicitly declare which coalition holds the majority position.
According to Osoro, the authority to determine the majority status in Parliament lies with the Speaker, not the courts.
“It is the responsibility of the Speaker to establish who holds the majority and who is in the minority,” he said.
He further warned that any abrupt leadership changes in the House could have financial and procedural consequences, particularly regarding allowances allocated to parliamentary leadership positions.
“We must consider the implications of such changes, including the allowances already disbursed to leaders of both sides,” Osoro added.
The composition of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) selection panel, as well as the distribution of slots in the Parliamentary Service Commission, depends on the majority-minority structure in the National Assembly.
Speaker Wetang’ula also weighed in on the matter, clarifying that the High Court ruling did not conclusively determine which coalition holds the majority.
“This matter has been reset to its original position because the court does not decide who is in the majority or the minority,” Wetang’ula stated.
He emphasized that it would now be up to the Speaker to make a factual decision on the issue.
