The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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Recently, the High Court ruled that the Azimio coalition is the majority party in the National Assembly, ending a two-year legal dispute.
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Prior to this ruling, Azimio was the Minority Party, while the Kenya Kwanza Alliance held the majority position, based on a decision made by Speaker Moses Wetang’ula shortly after he assumed office in 2022.
The roles of Majority and Minority parties are defined in Kenya’s 2010 Constitution. This marked a shift from the previous system, where the President, as head of government, and the Leader of the Opposition both performed their roles within Parliament. Previously, the President also served as an elected Member of Parliament (MP) representing a constituency.
Under the new system, presidential candidates no longer run for MP seats.
The party or coalition with the most elected MPs is considered the majority, while the second-largest becomes the minority. The Constitution further stipulates that the hierarchy in the National Assembly starts with the Speaker, followed by the Deputy Speaker, and then the leaders of the majority and minority parties.
The Majority and Minority Leaders are elected by their respective parties. Standing Order No. 19 (5) states that the Speaker is responsible for supporting the Majority and Minority Leaders in managing parliamentary affairs on behalf of their parties or coalitions.
Additionally, the Deputy Majority and Minority Leaders are elected simultaneously by members of their respective parties and submitted to the Speaker by the Chief Whips of both parties.
