National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula and Clerk Samuel Njoroge
The National Assembly has rejected an attempt by a lobby to discuss the conduct of Speaker Moses Wetang’ula.
The House dismissed the push by the Grassroot Oversight Initiative (GOI), citing procedural limitations under parliamentary rules.
In a letter dated February 7, 2025, Clerk of the National Assembly Samuel Njoroge informed the petitioners that parliamentary rules prohibit discussions on the Speaker’s conduct unless a substantive motion is introduced by a sitting Member of Parliament.
“We have perused the Constitution, the Petition to
Parliament (Procedure) Act, 2012, and the National Assembly Standing Orders and
note that Standing Order 87(1) provides that the conduct of the Speaker can
only be discussed through a substantive motion with at least three days'
notice,” the letter stated.
The Clerk further clarified that only an MP who is aggrieved by the Speaker’s conduct has the legal standing to move such a motion, rendering the Grassroot Oversight Initiative’s claim inadmissible.
“In the circumstances, your claim is inadmissible,’’ Njoroge wrote.
This response effectively shuts down the group’s attempt to challenge the Speaker’s leadership through external petitions or interventions.
The letter underscores the procedural barriers that shield the Speaker from direct public censure, reinforcing the legislative requirement that only MPs can initiate such a debate within the House.
The Grassroot Oversight Initiative, which had sought to challenge Wetang’ula’s conduct, is yet to respond to the National Assembly’s decision.
However, the rejection highlights a procedural deadlock for any external groups attempting to influence internal parliamentary affairs without the backing of legislators.
The GOI had, on February 6, 2025, written to the Clerk, submitting a notice of motion against Wetang’ula following his declaration of Kenya Kwanza as the majority party in the House.
The Nakuru-based lobby sought to have the Speaker censured over what it termed as a violation of a High Court ruling that annulled his 2022 declaration of Kenya Kwanza as the majority party.
