Jubilee leaders dismiss Raila's oath of office

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and a Jubilee MP at Parliament on Tuesday 23/01/19. [Photo by Boniface Okendo/Standard]

Legislators from Jubilee Party have downplayed yesterday's swearing-in of Raila Odinga.

MPs led by National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale dismissed the event, terming it as being meant to massage the ego of the Opposition chief.

“That was purely an affair of the Orange Democratic Movement. It can best be described as an ODM political rally. It has no consequence whatsoever since President Uhuru Kenyatta is legally in office,” said Mr Duale.

The National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee chairman William Cheptumo said the oath had no legal and constitutional foundation.

 The Constitution

“The process and the manner in which the president of the Republic of Kenya is sworn in is well established in the Constitution. It can only arise from an election whose outcome is declared by the chairman of the country’s electoral commission and administered by the Chief Justice,” said Mr Cheptumo.

At the ceremony held at Uhuru Park attended by thousands of Opposition supporters, the oath taken by the ODM party boss was administered by Ruaraka MP TJ Kajwang and former Nairobi governorship candidate Miguna Miguna.

Most of the leaders present at the event were from the Orange party, with NASA co-principals Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi, and Moses Wetang’ula giving it a wide berth.

NASA co-principals

MPs Didimus Barasa (Kimilili) and Hillary Kosgey (Kipkelion West) thanked Mr Kalonzo, Mr Mudavadi, and Mr Wetang’ula for skipping the function, claiming that their decision was informed by the realisation that it was unconstitutional.

Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja said the event had 'boomeranged' on the coalition.