Wednesday, February 7, 2024 - National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has accused former Prime Minister Raila Odinga of being ignorant of the law after the latter had publicly questioned the speaker's eligibility.
During a rally in Kamukunji,
Raila noted that Wetangula was not in a position to appeal the High Court's
ruling at the Supreme Court.
"Speakers across the world
do not have the power to appeal. He (Wetangula) was there when the bill was
passed as faulty as it is. He oversaw it," Raila stated.
However, Wetangula retaliated by
accusing Raila of failure to understand the Constitution and consequently
misleading the public.
He emphasised that Raila was
being misled by his advisers to utter such remarks. Wetangula expressed that he
respected Raila, however his recent remarks were embarrassing.
"It is quite embarrassing
for the Former Prime Minister to be making statements that portray him, his
advisers or handlers, as being ignorant of the law in particular on the role of
the Speaker of the National Assembly," he added.
According to Wetangula, during
the Finance Act 2023 case in the High Court, Parliament was sued among others.
He noted that Parliament was not
satisfied by the ruling and followed its constitutional right to appeal.
He quoted Article 95 of the
Constitution where the speaker is mandated to be the presiding officer of the
National Assembly on any matter filed by or against Parliament relating to the
discharge of its legislative functions.
Wetangula emphasised that Raila
was aware of this role since he served as an MP before.
"Raila who is a seasoned
legislator of many years knows this very well that in Court proceedings by or
against the Speaker of the National Assembly, it is the Speaker of the National
Assembly who has the legal duty to appear in court and defend the case,"
the Speaker asserted.
He further noted that the
National Assembly was only in court after being sued; it was not out of its own
volition.
He thus advised Raila's allies
to familiarise themselves with the Constitution to avoid making similar remarks
in the future.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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