Social media posts falsely claim impeachment motion tabled against Kenya's national assembly speaker Wetang'ula
IN SHORT: Several Facebook posts claim that an impeachment motion has been tabled against Moses Wetang'ula, the speaker of Kenya's national assembly. But the national assembly records show no such motion.
A Facebook post claims that an impeachment motion has been filed against Moses Wetang'ula, the speaker of Kenya's national assembly.
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Wetang'ula, a veteran Kenyan politician, has served as speaker since 2022 and previously held senior roles as a cabinet minister and party leader.
He has recently come under political pressure after the high court ruled that it was unconstitutional for him to simultaneously serve as speaker and leader of the Forum for the Restoration of Democracy-Kenya, a political party in Kenya. This is because the role of the speaker requires political neutrality.
The ruling has heightened scrutiny of Wetangula's conduct, particularly his handling of parliamentary leadership disputes, with critics accusing him of favouring the ruling Kenya Kwanza Alliance.
In February 2025, the opposition Azimio la Umoja coalition accused Wetang'ula of bias and threatened to impeach him. This stemmed from his decision to declare Kenya Kwanza the majority party in parliament despite a court ruling that had recognised Azimio as the majority.
Around the same period, an attempt to introduce a motion of censure against Wetang'ula was blocked by Samuel Njoroge, the clerk of the national assembly, who said that parliamentary procedure did not permit debate on the speaker's conduct unless a sitting MP formally introduced a substantive motion.
The Grassroot Oversight Initiative had filed the petition in protest of Wetang'ula's ruling on the majority status.
The claim has also been posted here and here. (Note: See more instances at the end of this report.)
But has a motion to impeach Wetang'ula actually been tabled in parliament? We checked.
No such motion tabled at the national assembly
According to the national assembly's standing orders, impeaching a speaker requires a formal motion backed by at least one-third of all MPs. It must cite clear grounds such as gross misconduct or a constitutional violation.
The speaker may respond, after which removal can occur only through a supermajority vote - typically two-thirds of the House.
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We also checked the national assembly's official motions tracker, which logs all motions formally tabled in parliament. As of 17 December, it showed no impeachment motion against the speaker.
Such a move would also attract widespread media coverage, yet no credible news outlet has reported it.
No impeachment motion has been tabled against Wetang'ula in parliament. The Facebook post claiming otherwise is false.
The false claim has also been posted here, here, here, here, here and here.
