Moses Francis Masika Wetang'ula (born 13 September 1956), is the current Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya, as well as leader of the FORD-Kenya party. He served in the government of Kenya as Minister for Foreign Affairs from 2008 to 2010 and from 2011 to 2012, and he was Minister for Trade from 2012 to 2013.
Early life and education
Wetangula went to Nalondo Primary School, Busakala secondary school, Teremi Secondary School, and Friends School Kamusinga before being admitted to the University of Nairobi, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree. He was a member of the Board of Directors of ICROSS Kenya from 1989, stepping down when he became Kenya's Minister for Foreign Affairs.
Political career
He was nominated as a Kanu MP after the 1992 general election, serving until 1997. He has held several other previous public positions which include that of the magistrate and the chairman Electricity Regulatory Board. Wetangula actively participated in organisation of funds-drives to set up projects on self-help basis and has been offering legal services to the local people. He has mobilised women and the youth to initiate income generating projects.
Wetangula was elected to the National Assembly in the December 2002 parliamentary election, and has never lost all the election he has participated ever since. He was appointed into the cabinet by President Mwai Kibaki on 8 January 2008,amid a crisis regarding the results of the concurrent presidential election, Wetangula was named Minister for Foreign Affairs. Later in January, in reaction to criticism from the United Kingdom regarding the presidential election, Wetangula summoned the United Kingdom's High Commissioner, Adam Wood, to complain, and he said that "our elections don't need a stamp of authority from the House of Commons". After a power-sharing agreement was reached between Kibaki and Raila Odinga, both of whom claimed victory in the presidential election, Wetangula retained his post in the Grand Coalition Cabinet named on 13 April 2008.
In March 2012, Wetangula was stranded in Bamako, Mali during a coup d'état. He was evacuated after being trapped in his hotel room for several days.
Shortly after Wetangula's return, Kibaki shuffled his cabinet. Wetangula left his post as Foreign Minister and became the Trade Minister.
He was elected to the Senate of Kenya in 2013, representing Bungoma County, and became Minority Leader in the Senate of Kenya. He was later replaced in the position of Minority Leader by the then Senator of Siaya County James Orengo. This is because Raila Odinga was unhappy with the fact that his fellow luo was not in that position and therefore instructed that Orengo should replace Wetangula. 16 ODM senators signed a petition to oust him out as the minority leader. Wetangula warned them, "If anyone wants a divorce, it would be messy, it would be noisy, it would be unhelpful, it would not be easy, it would have casualties", he said. Raila Odinga became a casualty after losing the presidential contest in 2022 general election, as Wetang'ula made William Ruto the fifth President of Kenya. In the run-up to the August 2022 Kenyan general election, Wetang'ula and his party Ford Kenya joined forces with other parties to form the Kenya Kwanza Alliance, where he became a co-principal. Wetang'ula was re-elected with a landslide win as Bungoma senator in the August 2022 Kenyan general election, but he resigned shortly afterwards to vie for the position of the Speaker of the National Assembly of Kenya, hence becoming the third in line of succession in the Republic of Kenya. On 8 September 2022, Wetangula defeated his only competitor, former speaker Marende to become the speaker of the 13th Parliament of Kenya.
Tokyo embassy scandal
Wetangula left his ministerial post on 27 October 2010 due to ongoing investigation on his alleged involvement in the Kenyan Tokyo embassy scandal. It was alleged that instead of accepting free property from the government of Japan for the embassy, 1.6 billion shillings was withheld from the sale of Kenyan property in Nigeria and used to buy a less suitable property.George Saitoti served as acting foreign minister during Wetangula's absence.
Wetangula was later absolved of the allegations and any wrongdoing by five separate probes and returned to the ministry in August 2011, though he permanently left the position a few months later to successfully contest for the position of Senator for Bungoma County.