Thursday, October 20, 2022 – President William Ruto’s Environment CS nominee Soipan Tuya had a very hard time defending herself over the impunity she committed to Raila Odinga’s NASA in 2018.
Azimio lawmakers cornered Tuya to explain why she ruled opposite to what MPs were saying during the acrimonious passing of the draconian security laws.
Led by Azimio MP Robert Mbui, the Opposition MPs alleged that Soipan, who was acting as the speaker for the sitting, ruled in favor of the Jubilee Party in 2018 despite claims that the ‘nays’ – largely drawn from the defunct National Super Alliance (NASA) – were louder.
He invited the nominee to defend herself against the allegations arguing that the information about her biased ruling was in the public domain.
“The nominee while acting as speaker chairing a sitting of Parliament during the debate on the controversial tax laws; contained in the 2018 Finance Act deliberately and publicly ruled that the ayes had won the vote that was taken through acclamation while it was very clear that the nays had won,” Mbui recalled.
But National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula, and the Leader of the Majority, Kimani Ichung’wa, intervened to defend the Environment CS nominee
Ichungwah interjected, noting that Soipan’s ruling had been contested and settled in a court of law and thus ruled out any justification needed.
He also raised a point of order to contest what he alleged was an attempt to tarnish the nominee’s reputation.
Wetangula concurred with Ichungwah after explaining how the Standing Orders work and the Speaker’s role in moderating the debates.
“You may proceed to answer but you may not answer the question about how you ruled when you were on the chair,” Wetangula stated.
“You know very well Robert (Mbui), even speakers hold quasi-judicial authority, no judge is frogged to answer how they made their judgement. You then appeal if you want,” the Speaker added.
Soipan vowed to refrain from responding to the allegations in line with the speaker’s guidance.
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