President William Ruto was yesterday in high gear as he made frantic efforts to save embattled National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula from possible impeachment.

The move came after Wetang’ula declared President Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza coalition as the majority in the House, a decision that has left Azimio La Umoja allied MPs baying for his blood.

But as the former Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s allies swore to teach Wetang’ula a lesson, MPs from the Speaker’s Mulembe nation came to his defence claiming that he is being unfairly targeted.

Insiders aware of the intrigues revealed that the efforts to save Wetang’ula were being spearheaded by State House, which is keen to have him continue holding his position.

Parliamentary leadership

Sources disclosed that senior parliamentary leadership led by Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wah and Leader of Minority Junet Mohamed had been summoned to the House on the Hill on Wednesday night, hours after Opposition lawmakers threatened to oust Wetang’ula who had earlier announced that Kenya Kwanza with 165 MPs constituted the majority while the Azimio La Umoja with  145 was the  minority.

Sources however, said that Mohamed did not honour the invite, thus frustrating the President’s efforts.

Interestingly Ichung’wah and Mohammed had been invited to appear on a local  TV night show but did not appear as they had been summoned to State House.

Said a source who did not want to be named: “The lobbying that is going on to save him is on a high level. People are being called left, right and centre. Some of these calls are from State House.

Added the source: “The leadership had been summoned to State House but some members from the Opposition side did not avail themselves.”

The intrigues came on the day a majority of the Opposition lawmakers skipped yesterday’s parliamentary session in a bid to push Wetang’ula to recognise them as majority.

While some of the legisltors avoided Parliament to attend to their own personal matters, others had travelled to Addis Ababa, ahead of the African Union Commission (AUC) election, where former Prime Minister Raila Odinga is vying for the chairperson position.

Impeachment motion

The Azimio La Umoja was supposed to hold its PG today (Friday) to chat the way forward on the impeachment motion but postponed the meeting to next week due to the absence of some  the members said to have  travelled to Ethiopia ,

A total of 40 lawmakers have notified Wetang’ula that they will be traveling to Addis Ababa in line with parliamentary standing orders.

The fresh details emerged on the day 15 MPs from the Western region told off those seeking to have him impeached, accusing them of  prosecuting, convicting and sentencing him in the court of public opinion. On Wednesday Opposition lawmakers headed by Suna East MP Junet Mohammed and Suba South MP Millie Odhiambo said they will take action against Wetang’ula for not only going against the court ruling but for also issuing contradictory information regarding the composition of the House.

Yesterday, led by Teso South MP and Western region caucus vice-chairperson Mary Emase, the lawmakers claimed that the attacks are being sponsored by serious enemies of progress. They made it clear that they will not allow any person to downgrade him and thus put those personalities behind the attacks which they termed as false and fake on notice.

She said: “Over the past two weeks, we have seen and heard of a sustained attempt to vilify the office and person of the Speaker of the National Assembly, the Rt. Hon (Dr.) Moses Masika Wetang’ula. EGH, MP. In a most unfair manner, the Speaker has been prosecuted, convicted and sentenced in the court of public opinion by sections of the press.”

Fake script

She added: “We put the personalities who are behind this false and fake script on notice. If they are worth their salt, let them come forward and face us in the open instead of hiding in the shadows. The Members of the National Assembly, across the board, have full confidence in the Speaker and abide with and respect his guidance of the National Assembly We note our disapproval, in the strongest terms, of any narrative that seeks to portray a contrary picture.”

Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi told off those keen on bringing down the speaker saying such thoughts ought not to be tolerated especially at this time when the country is concentrating on  Raila’s contest in Addis Ababa.

She said: “First of all, coming from the western community there’s nowhere the speaker is going. That one we have to say. And so even if we do other things, the matter of this Speaker is out completely.  It’s not about tribalism it is how Kenyans have decided to make this country that everything we put in context with our people. So that’s how it is. So, when Western people see us doing all these things as leaders in parliament, they wonder whether we are normal or abnormal. We are very normal. And we are not going to touch this Speaker period.

 And added: “You must learn to protect your people. That’s what the country has become, it’s not because of anyone. That’s how we have made our country and that’s how we will protect it. That’s how other people are protecting their people.

Wetang’ula upheld the Kenya Kwanza Alliance as the majority coalition in the National Assembly in a fresh declaration following the High Court decision nullifying his initial declaration.

In his ruling on the implications of the court decision on House proceedings, the Speaker cited post-election agreements filed with the Registrar of Political Parties as a key factor in determining the majority status.

He referenced coalition agreements from the Registrar, which indicated that 14 MPs from five political parties had exited Azimio La Umoja, thereby denying the opposition coalition the majority status it sought.

“Arising from the foregoing, the Kenya Kwanza Coalition is the Majority Party, and the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party is the Minority Party in the House,” Wetang’ula ruled.

A letter from the Registrar of Political Parties confirmed the formal exit from Azimio by the People’s Liberation Party, Maendeleo Chap Chap Party, Devolution Empowerment Party, United Democratic Movement, and the Pamoja African Alliance.