Members of Parliament from the Kenya Kwanza Alliance and Azimio La Umoja are in a clash on which political coalition has more sway in the National Assembly.
Both coalition parties on Saturday announced its leadership at the Senate and the National Assembly following a consultative two-day retreat one held at Stoni Resort in Machakos County for Azimio-OKA and Naivasha for United Democratic Alliance leaders.
In the Senate, the Raila Odinga’s Azimio settled for the minority status, however, in the National Assembly is where the two political groups claims to command the majority in the house both picking majority leader and majority whip slots.
Speaking at Jaramongi Odinga Memorial, Wiper Democratic leader Kalonzo Musyoka said, “For the avoidance of doubt, Azimio-OKA is legally and legitimately the majority coalition in the National Assembly, this is not a matter for determination by any individual or office it is a simple arithmetic. And so to settle this matter and put the record straight once and for all, members of Parliament belonging to the Azimio-OKA coalition have been properly advised to take up majority roles and responsibilities in and out of the National Assembly chambers.”
As they say numbers don’t lie; MPs elected under UDA ticket are 144, ODM 88, Jubilee 27, Wiper 26, UDM 9, The Service Party 2, Maendeleo ChapChap 2 NOPEU, DP, GDPP, MDG, CCM have one each. If at all this would be followed, Azimio which brought 26parties together would take the majority at slight of 168 followed by UDA with 167MPs, Independent 12 while NAP-K and GDDP have one each.
However, With some of the parties including Alfred Mutua’s party, 10 Independent MPs, KUP, MDG and UDM defecting to Ruto led Kenya Kwanza Alliance, UDA wins with 180 members while Azimio takes the minority with 155 members.
The house balance of power tussel remains at the hands of speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula. Meanwhile, only one key aspect will determine the coalition to clinch the majority. If the Azimio-OKA agreement to bound defectors for at least three months to and after an election is enforced, the Azimio will take the majority side but then if Speaker Wetangula being a UDA beneficiary opts to delay Parliamentary proceedings so that the said three months period can come to pass Kenya Kwanza will then become the majority party in the House.