President-Elect William Ruto and his main competitor in last week’s election Raila Odinga of Azimio la Umoja are faced with a dilemma in Parliament with one holding a political majority while the other has it legally. While Raila’s Azimio has the majority of elected MPs in the National Assembly, some of the leaders of Azimio affiliate parties are politically aligned to Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza Coalition.
Ruto’s coalition has 154 MPs while Raila’s Azimio has 165 MPs elected from their affiliate parties. However, two Azimio affiliate parties with 6 MPs – Alfred Mutua’s Maendeleo Chap Chap (2) and Amason Kingi’s Pamoja African Alliance (4) – have aligned themselves with Kenya Kwanza. This reduces the Azimio majority to 159 and raises the Kenya Kwanza figure to 160.
However, the two parties are bound by the Azimio Coalition until November 9 which is three months after elections and the only time that Azimio Parties can disengage with the Coalition. Mutua has already indicated that his party will not stick with Azimio as they are politically aligned to Ruto’s Kenya Kwanza.
In addition, 10 of the 12 independents have aligned with Kenya Kwanza giving Ruto more numbers, politically, than Azimio at 170. Independents can form their own caucus in Parliament but they cannot take part in decisions that involve political parties such as the election of the Leaders of Majority and Minority as well as the Whips.
Two other parties – NOPEU and MDDG – with a single MP each were elected while legally unaffiliated to either of the coalitions. The MDDG MP Fabian Kyule has aligned himself with Kenya Kwanza and was at the meeting of the coalition’s elected leaders chaired by Ruto in Karen on Wednesday. The NOPEU MP Mburi Apuri has in the past associated with Raila and has been seen at the Azimio meetings at KICC. This gives Raila 160 MPs while Ruto has 171.
There are four Constituencies that are yet to hold elections while IEBC is yet to allocate the 12 nominated MP seats which are divided proportionally depending on the number of MPs per party. Ruto’s UDA has the majority of elected MPs at 116 MPs followed by ODM at 75 with Jubilee Party and Wiper bringing the closure of parties that qualify for nominated positions with 25 and 20 MPs respectively.
Why do these numbers matter?
The first business when MPs resume will be to elect a Speaker. Both Coalitions need the numbers to elect their preferred candidate. The numbers will also dictate who becomes the Leader of the Majority in the House with the Constitution stipulating that the position is occupied by an MP from the party or the coalition with the majority of MPs.
The numbers are also critical for changes in laws that Ruto, when sworn in as President, would want to push through Parliament. As it stands, the Leader of the Majority belongs to Azimio but this could swiftly change before the end of the year if the smaller parties leave the coalition.
Join our community and solve the Puzzling fun with our range of crosswords
We are building some fun puzzles to put your problem-solving skills to the test and we want you to have a blast while you're at it!
Share your email and we’ll serve up new puzzles with your morning coffee.
Do you want to help shape the features we prioritize? Take a Survey to help us understand what matters to you most
Begin SurveyAM Live is NTV's morning current affairs show that sets the agenda for the day with insightful panels every weekday.
Business Redefined is Kenya’s premier thought leadership platform for unpacking matters regarding economic and finance policy as well demystifying complex developments in the region’s capital markets.
This is Daily Politics. Here we look into the ins and outs of everything Kenyan politics. We pull no punches and have no reason to sugarcoat anything that matters to Kenyans.
A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula
A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula
Gumzo La Sato is a live social issues show that aims to create awareness about issues affecting the larger society. The discussions range from Parenting, Marital bliss and struggles, Oppression, violence, and all matters of the Heart.
Health Diary is a weekly show that highlights different types of diseases/conditions and seeks ways to prevent, treat/manage them. The show debunks this through real life stories and also feature specialists in different fields, to offer medical advice on the same.
Letter To My Younger Self is a podcast where guests get to write a letter to their younger self, from which Maxine formulates questions to ask them during the hour-long show.
Nation Reports is a weekly podcast offers an opportunity for listeners to interact with various reporters and journey with them as they unravel the biggest most emotive stories.
Paradise Lost peeks through the story of Louis Otieno, the times, and everything in between.
Speaking of Gen Z brings you entertaining but meaningful conversations about a generation that is trying to navigate through adulthood. Join hosts Michelle, Jackie and Esther as they unravel all things Gen Z.
Sport-On is a 30-minute sports magazine show on NTV and 3 hours on NATION FM. The show seeks to give the sports “fanatics” and “funatics” comprehensive and in-depth coverage of sports both locally and internationally.
Thamani is a business show which is dedicated to emerging issues regarding micro, small and medium size businesses.
A two-hour-long live show that airs on Fridays. The show focuses on what is current in the entertainment industry, controversial and popular across all media platforms targeting those aged between 25 and 35 years.
The trend podcast highlights and captures the best of banter from #TTTT segment that airs every Friday on NTV. It's the TTTT EXTRA
The Wicked Edition with Dr. King’ori seeks to address serious issues through humour and relatable wit. It is a two-part half hour show filmed in front of a live audience
A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula A collection of our premium content. Diam curabitur vehicula
Twende is a travel show that highlights beautiful, unique, diverse locations, people, and cultures. The show offers fresh perspectives on familiar locations and memorable experiences in new ones.
This Saturday evening lifestyle show lets viewers share their stories and life experiences as openly & honestly for the purpose of shifting the culture of silence.
VIP ACCESS is Anyiko Owoko’s YouTube and podcast show on Music and Culture dedicated to promoting Africa’s most promising talent and creatives. This podcast grants you VIP access into timeless interviews while providing a platform for rising as well as established artists across the continent. Since launching in 2018, Anyiko has interviewed over 70 African music stars.
This weekly news show aims to have all sides of debate but not be constrained by it, listen to main voices in the contest but not allow them to hold the viewers hostage, entertain debate but allow push back with all due respect.
In this podcast, three widowers openly speak about the process of grief, how they found themselves exposed to the emotional turmoil of losing their wives, and how society still does not know how to deal with them.
Your World is a health, wellness and variety show. It provides a platform for audiences and experts to share their experiences on how to improve or manage health issues, across Kenya and the Africa region.
