Relief for Wetang’ula as Clerk throws out censure motion filed by lobby group
The Clerk Samuel Njoroge informed the petitioners that House rules do not allow MPs to discuss the Speaker’s conduct unless a substantive motion is introduced by a sitting MP
The National Assembly has rejected an initiative by the Grassroot Oversight Initiative to censure Speaker Moses Wetang’ula.
The Assembly, through a letter by the office of the clerk, dismissed the initiative to initiate a motion against Wetang’ula, citing procedural limitations under parliamentary rules.
In the letter dated February 7, 2025, Clerk of the National Assembly Samuel Njoroge informed the petitioners that parliamentary rules do not allow the House to discuss 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,” Njoroge said in the letter.
The Clerk advised that only an MP who is aggrieved by the Speaker’s conduct has the legal standing to move such a motion, making the Grassroot Initiative’s claim inadmissible.
The response shuts down the group’s attempt to challenge the Speaker’s leadership and subsequent ouster through external petitions.
The letter further underscores the procedural barriers that shield the Speaker from direct censure by the public, reinforcing the legislative requirement that only MPs can initiate such a debate within the House.
The Grassroot Oversight Initiative, which had sought to challenge the Speaker’s conduct, is yet to respond to the decision.
However, the rejection signals a procedural deadlock for any external groups attempting to influence internal parliamentary affairs without the backing of legislators.
