Stop political party-hopping, it undermines our democracy

[Photo: Courtesy]

When Jubilee Members of Parliament tabled the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill 2016, this newspaper’s view was that the move was driven by selfishness. The bill sought to change laws on the merger and formation of political parties, somehow allowing MPs to switch parties at will.

Party-hopping is largely responsible for the culture of political irresponsibility witnessed a few years ago when unpopular politicians, but with the right connections at the highest levels of governance, were imposed on the electorate. Such leaders-and they were many-never felt the urge to be responsive to the needs of the electorate. They felt-and wrongly so-that they did not owe them anything.