Africa-Press – Kenya. MPs on Tuesday tussled over the status of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya alliance’s status in Parliament as the House convened its first sitting.
Nominated MP John Mbadi said that members of political parties who joined Azimio are by extension members of the Azimio political party.
“The moment you are a member of ODM, Jubilee, automatically, by extension, you are a member of Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance political party,” he said.
But Garissa Town MP Aden Duale opposed Mbadi’s assertion saying no legislator was elected into Parliament under the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya party.
He said Azimio should be treated as a coalition since all its affiliate MPs were elected under individual parties.
“Raila Odinga was the only candidate in Azimio One Kenya Alliance, there were no MPs, MCAs or Senators,” he said.
Members of Parliament were deliberating on the majority membership of the House.
Azimio MPs insisted that they are the majority in the National Assembly by dint of the MPs elected under political parties that formed the coalition.
Azimio la Umoja is recognised by the Office of the Registrar of Political parties as a political party comprising of 26 fully registered political parties.
This is by dint its coalition agreement deposited and evaluated by the ORPP.
The party was issued with a certificate of full registration signed by the Registrar on April 21, 2022 after the ORPP assessed its coalition agreement and found it to be compliant with provisions of section 10 of Political Parties Act, 2011 and Political Parties (Registration) Regulations, 2019.
Suna East MP Junet Mohammed said that Kenyans voted for the majority members in Parliament, and the members belong to Azimio One Kenya alliance.
“The will of the people of Kenya who elected the President must be respected just as the will of the people who gave certain coalitions and parties the majority in this House,” he said.
On September 22, Azimio wrote to the speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula communicating the coalition’s leadership.
The coalition proposed Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi as the Leader of the Majority in the 13th Parliament.
“I am pleased to convey to you the names of the duly elected House leaders in the National Assembly representing the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party,” Junet said.
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