Speaker Wetang’ula loses appeal as court upholds Azimio’s majority status
Wetang'ula had argued that the ruling had severely disrupted parliamentary operations.
The Court of Appeal has declined to suspend a High Court ruling that declared Azimio la Umoja as the majority in the National Assembly, rejecting Speaker Moses Wetang'ula’s attempt to overturn the decision.
Wetang'ula had argued that the ruling had severely disrupted parliamentary operations.
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However, the Court on Friday dismissed this claim, stating that there was no sufficient proof that legislative business had been paralyzed.
“Even after the contested Speaker’s ruling of 12th February 2025, the National Assembly has continued to discharge its duties, albeit with some acrimony,” the judges noted.
The Court further ruled that granting a stay order would mean prematurely endorsing the Speaker’s decision before the High Court determined whether it complied with its earlier judgment.
Legal consequences
Concerns that the ruling could expose Wetang'ula to legal consequences, such as contempt of court proceedings, were also dismissed.
“The likelihood of a party being summoned to court to respond to an allegation of contempt of court and the attendant inconvenience or embarrassment that may be so occasioned as a result is not sufficient reason to stay court proceedings,” the court noted.
With this decision, the legal dispute over the National Assembly’s majority party remains unresolved, extending the political standoff.
In February 2025, the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) confirmed that five parties had officially exited the Azimio la Umoja coalition following the 2022 general elections.
According to an updated list of registered parties and their coalitions, the five parties severed ties with Azimio between February 2023 and December 2024.
The parties that have left the coalition include the People’s Liberation Party (formerly Narc Kenya), Maendeleo Chap Chap, United Democratic Movement (UDM), Devolution Empowerment Party, and Pamoja African Alliance (PAA).
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