‘Precedent has been set’ – Passaris explains how Azimio majority ruling could impact 2027 elections
By Lutta Njomo, February 10, 2025Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris on Monday, February 10, 2025, weighed into the recent High Court ruling that declared Azimio Coalition a Majority side in the National Assembly.
Speaking on K24 TV during the New Dawn show, Passaris argued that the ruling will shape the 2027 elections and formations.
Passaris opined that the landmark ruling delivered by a three-judge bench set a precedent in the guidelines to be followed while naming the Majority and Minority sides in parliament.
The Nairobi County MP explained that the idea of parties forming coalitions immediately after elections would come to an end following the judges’ decree.
She maintained that Azimio was a Majority immediately after the elections but Speaker Moses Wetang’ula was compelled to issue a contrary directive due to the political shifts that came afterwards.
Come 2027, Passaris maintained that the same scheme will not be employed following the court’s pronouncement on the matter.
“We always knew we were the Majority in Azimio but the problem we had at that particular time was that immediately after elections, alliances were made not legal in structure but they were made and the speaker pronounced himself based on the alliances that were shifting.”
“So those alliances were learnt that were not legal. It is good that we have such a ruling because it means that come 2027 the precedent has been set and you better win the numbers with your political party or coalition and come and fish in another person’s camp,” Passaris insisted.
The Ruling
Justices John Chigiti, Jairus Ngaah, and Lawrence Mugambi said Wetang’ula acted unreasonably when he assigned 14 MPs who had defected from Azimio to the Kenya Kwanza coalition.
These 14 MPs were drawn from the United Democratic Movement (UDM) which is led by Mandera Senator Ali Ibrahim Roba, Movement for Democracy and Growth, Maendeleo Chap Chap associated with CS Alfred Mutua and Pamoja African Alliance.
Wetang’ula claimed the said parties had written to him to denounce their association with Azimio which prompted his decision.
However, the judges insisted that the speaker erred in his pronouncement as the parties had not officially been expunged from Azimio records by the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties.
What next
As the Parliament resumes on Tuesday, February 11, 2025, Passaris told K24 that Azimio should move to the Majority side while Kenya Kwanza should occupy the Minority side.
Passaris asserted that the parties needed to obey the courts and proceed to make Suna East MP the Leader of the Majority side in Parliament and declare Kikuyu MP Leader of the Minority side.
“Let us enjoy the ruling, let us move to the side of the majority and I believe tomorrow we are going to take the side of the Majority and they are going to move to the Minority.
“We have to honour the ruling of the court so we are going to sit on the Majority side and going to be beautiful,” Passaris asserted.
Despite the recent development, Passaris insisted that ODM was still in the broad-based government arrangement.