Senate Speaker Amason Kingi on Tuesday, April 18 ruled that there was no handshake government.
Kingi made the determination after Migori Senator Eddy Oketch rose on a point of order demanding an apology or explanation from his Nandi counterpart Samson Cherargei for using the term.
The Speaker heard both sides and ruled that the term handshake government was not admissible and offered a new term.
"There was no government called handshake that was voted in by Kenyans, just like there was no coalition government voted by Kenyans.
"We had a Jubilee Government governed through the handshake. We never had a handshake government," Kingi ruled.
Notably, the Speaker ruled that handshake was on its own a valid term and its content in the Kenyan setting was out in the public domain.
"The opposition in his wisdom decided to bury the hatchet with the then-president by extending a hand, that came to be known as the handshake.
"Thereafter, instead of the Jubilee government explaining government policy, the opposition was expounding and explaining government policy," Kingi.
However, Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna confirmed that as ODM Secretary-General, they were not part of the government as they neither formed a government nor seconded motions backing state policy.
Nonetheless, Kingi turned down the request by Senator Oketch to order Cherargei to retract the statement.
The Azimio leaders have always been caught at a crossroads over their association with the previous government.
While the faction received an endorsement from President Uhuru Kenyatta, they insist that they were not part of the government.
On the flip side, the Kenya Kwanza side, under the leadership of President William Ruto, dissociates itself from the former government despite the head of state serving as the Deputy President.
Uhuru and Raila signed a cooperation pact in March 2018 after disputed 2017 elections, allowing the opposition to enjoy the trappings of power.
