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Thursday, January 27, 2022 –President Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta has signed into law the controversial Political Parties(Amendment) Bill 2021.
This move by the head of the State has happened just a day after the Bill was also passed at the Senate level by 28 senators. The voting exercise took place on Wednesday afternoon of January 26.
At the National Assembly, the Bill was received with mixed reactions from MPs allied to different camps. The debate would then be marred by chaos leading to several adjournments.
In the recently passed Bill, coalitions, going forward, will be used as parties during elections and any disbursements also shared among member parties as is stipulated in the amendments. Before, it was not clear how parties could share political party’s funds.
During the signing of the Bill, the President was flanked by Attorney General Paul Kihara, Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka, his National Assembly counterpart Justin Muturi as well as House Majority Leaders Samuel Poghisio (Senate) and Amos Kimunya (National Assembly).
Homenews.co.ke also learnt that Head of Public Service Dr Joseph Kinyua, State House Deputy Chief of Staff Njee Muturi as well as House Clerks Jeremiah Nyegenye (Senate) and Michael Sialai (National Assembly) were present in the short ceremony held at Statehouse.
3/3 The law also empowers the Registrar of Political Parties to certify political party membership lists and nomination rules among other transformative provisions aimed at strengthening management of political parties and enhancing democracy.
Read more: https://t.co/wRacdv88Rg pic.twitter.com/NLbAdynUfT
— State House Kenya (@StateHouseKenya) January 27, 2022
Deputy President William Ruto’s wing which was initially opposed to the Bill decided to make an about-turn and voted in its favour. They would then ridicule their Azimio counterparts saying they were preparing their own ‘hangman’s noose’.
“We have passed Political Parties Amendment Bill and effectively given Azimio the rope they wanted to hang themselves. Let no one come back crying to us after the April nominations,” Senator Kipchumba Murkomen noted.
Raila and President Uhuru Kenyatta are the proponents of the new law.
