Raila, Ruto camps draw new battle lines over parties law

ODM leader Raila Odinga with Deputy President William Ruto during the Jamuhuri Day Celebrations at Uhuru Gardens Nairobi on December 12, 2021.  [Emmanuel Wanson]

President Uhuru Kenyatta, ODM leader Raila Odinga and Deputy President William Ruto’s troops in Parliament are headed for a new face-off following revelations that there is a push to reconvene the House on Wednesday next week for yet another special sitting to debate the controversial Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021.

National Assembly Majority Leader Amos Kimunya and Minority Leader John Mbadi yesterday told The Standard that they had settled on December 29 to debate the coalition law and possibly go through the third reading. That could mean if it is approved on floor, Uhuru can choose to sign it into law before New Year.

On Wednesday, Deputy Speaker Moses Cheboi had ruled to postpone the debate on the Bill to next year in the wake of a heated debate during which members proposed numerous amendments that Cheboi felt needed harmonisation. The government side said the amendments were meant to frustrate the debate.

In his ruling, Cheboi noted the harmonisation was necessary before a vote could be taken.

With the push to bring forward the debate, the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee has less than a week to harmonise the 17 new amendments since they must complete the task before Tuesday.

In their efforts to ensure the Bill sees the light of day, Kimunya and Mbadi agreed to ask the National Assembly to conclude the matter before 2022. They said they had separately written to the National Assembly Speaker to secure the day.

Kimunya, who acknowledged that Cheboi followed the law when postponing Wednesday’s sitting, said Standing Order 131 gives the Speaker leeway when he notices harmonisation of the amendment of any Bill is required. 

“We have to be realistic about some things... 2nd reading was concluded at 1 o’clock. Seventeen members have brought amendments. You have to give people time to prepare,” Kimunya said. He, however, faulted the manner in which the House carried itself arguing that law-making should be not be done in a toxic and combative environment.

Chaotic situation 

“It’s the reasoning in Parliament, not the muscle. The House was already chaotic for anything meaningful to be transacted,” he told The Standard.

Mbadi, on the other hand, said despite what transpired in House, he was optimistic that the matter will be concluded and members will take a vote on the Bill on Wednesday.

“We have since discussed with the Majority Leader and agreed on how to succeed moving forward,” he said.

Kimunya also said Parliament was still within time.

“We are making arrangements to call members at the earliest opportunity for the Bill to be processed so that it can be transmitted to the Senate,” he said.

However, Mathira MP Rigathi Gachagua said he failed to understand the urgency of the Bill that people have to get away from their families during the festive season to debate and vote on.

“You can see the desperation of trying to make Raila succeed President Kenyatta,” he said.

“They are now planning to get everyone from spending time with their families”.

Gachagua read mischief in the Bill, saying it was not meant to strengthen democracy but to help an individual manage his politics. “If you look at the spirit of the Bill and the fact that it’s being sneaked in, you can see that there is mischief. The main purpose of this Bill is to rush the timelines so that the OKA principals are coerced to join Raila,” he said.

Mbadi faulted the Tangatanga faction allied to the DP for working to frustrate the Bill.

He said the leaders had turned the Bill into a political affair because they have not taken time to read and internalise it.

“I am yet to hear from the Tangatanga wing what their issue is with this Bill. Their arguments even on the floor of the House showed they have no idea what this Bill is all about,” he said.

Mbadi said he did not understand why Ruto’s allies are opposed to the formation of coalition parties yet the defunct United Republican Party (URP) struck a coalition deal with The National Alliance (TNA) which did not last more that five years.

“There is so much hypocrisy that I don’t understand the same people that are going around talking about the law being made for Raila are the same people giving timeliness for the same,” he said.

However, Rigathi said some of the key factors they are opposed to include forcing the formation of coalition parties and giving the mandate to the Register of Political Parties to manage the party register as “they can easily lock out people.”

“Kenyatta government is not neutral in this contest. The government cannot manage political parties because they can easily interfere so that they lock out strong candidates,” he said.

Uasin Gishu Woman Rep Gladys Shollei said: “They were supposed to amend the Act to allow cooperation of parties so that it can allow the OKA alliance to have time to negotiate to join Raila Odinga. We cannot be passing laws as Parliament for selfish interest of a few individuals who cannot gather numbers on the ground.”

Lugari MP Ayub Savula said Jubilee and ODM needed to court OKA principals so that they can have the numbers to pass the Bill.

He argued that the amendments from Ruto’s team are just meant to frustrate the Bill.

“UDA is determined to frustrate this Bill through multiple amendments and the committee should be very careful about it. There is danger. You cannot underestimate the UDA team. Yesterday, some of their strongest people were not in the House and having the experience they have in the House they can use anything to delay this Bill,” he said.

The Bill proposes the formation of the coalition of political parties should be concluded six months to the next polls. However, the identities of the coalition parties will remain distinct as they will be members of a coalition political party.