Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana has indicated that the Friday, February 7, 2025, court ruling which noted that Azimio coalition was the majority party in parliament could lead to a situation where the opposition will lose even the watchdog committees which they currently chair.

Speaking during a morning TV show, Mungatana observed that Kenya Kwanza still enjoys a majority in both houses of parliament and that if members are allowed to vote on the leadership of committees, all will go in the ruling coalition’s favour.

“Assuming they operationalize the ruling, they will go for elections and Kenya Kwanza will take all the seats in the committees; and then Kenya Kwanza again will sit in the watchdog committees as chair. Do you see how ridiculous that whole arrangement is,” Mungatana quipped.

“The reality is that they have the numbers; so, they would sit and take all those committees together with the opposition seats.”

Political parties dispute tribunal

Mungatana lamented the court’s decision to rule in the manner it did, stating that the matter was to be left to the political parties dispute tribunal.

“Sometimes the courts should be invited to allow the political parties tribunal to settle disputes before they come to the High Court,” Mungatana observed.

On his part, Murang’a senator Joe Nyutu opined that Kenya Kwanza coalition would enter into a quick alliance with the opposition to avert a constitutional crisis which may be occasioned by the ruling.

Wetang’ula to choose

“I expect Kenya Kwanza to enter into a quick coalition and deposit it with the registrar of political parties to retain its majority status,” Nyutu said.

He, however, sided with the court’s ruling on National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula’s dual role of the speaker and party leader of the Ford-Kenya party, noting that he should choose one role.

“There is a reason why you are not supposed to serve as an MP and a speaker at the same time. The ruling that Wetang’ula made that Kenya Kwanza was the majority was because his party was in Kenya Kwanza. He cannot be a fair judge when he has an interest as a party leader,” Nyutu noted.

“It is only fair that he relinquishes one of the positions. He either remains a speaker and relinquishes the position of party leader of Ford-Kenya, or be contented with being party leader of Ford-Kenya and relinquish the seat of speaker of the National Assembly.”