Politics

Blow to Ruto’s Camp in Battle to Change Parties Laws

Chrispen

Thursday, December 30, 2021 –Hustler’s legislators lost first round in the heated debate session held at the National Assembly on Wednesday December 29 concerning the changes to the political parties laws.

The Wednesday session saw Deputy President William Ruto’s allies clash heavily with the Raila-Uhuru camp; leaving some of them with physical injuries.

President Uhuru Kenyatta with Raila Odinga.

The MPs exchanged blows, and pelted bottle waters in the air as the debate went on what saw most proposals from the DP’s side thrown away.

Though Ruto’s team was optimistic of stopping the changes in the controversial Political Parties Amendment Bill, this was not possible because of their weak numbers.

Kikuyu legislator Kimani Ichungwa’h, Kilifi North MP Owen Baya and Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie were among the Ruto’s close allies who lost the war in the chambers. They had wanted the Bill to be inserted Clauses 19A,25A, 25B, 26A and 26B. For example, Kiarie sought to amend the entire Clause 20.

It was also noted that they wanted formation of Political Parties Registration Board PPRB which was to be chaired by Chief Executive Officer in the place of the current Registrar of Political Parties.

This particular proposal was, nonetheless, not allowed because it reportedly lacked merit and threshold as per the Standing Order 133(5)

“I, therefore, direct that the Committee of the whole house shall not consider the proposed amendments to Clause 20,” Deputy Speaker Cheboi declared.

It should be remembered that on December 22, Deputy President William Ruto’s allies had to storm out of a meeting in which Cheboi referred all the proposed amendments to the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee for harmonization in a process he referred to as winnowing.

Kenyan parliament in session.

Ruto’s camp of MPs claim that the changes as proposed by Uhuru-Raila team wants to create space for the newly formed Azimio la Umoja to be transformed into a political party; something similar to the defunct Rainbow Coalition that saw Raila form Pentagon that threw President Moi out of power in 2002.

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