Stop political party-hopping, it undermines our democracy

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.

Indeed, such MPs tended to develop cavalier attitudes, treating those who elected them like servants to whom they occasionally doled favours and only visited when the next elections were due. Perhaps with this in mind, the Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndung’u sought to stop the culture of party hopping, if only to make individuals responsible. Leaders with a calling must stick to, and be guided by what they believe in; the ideologies that drove them to the parties of their choice, rather than what offers them convenience.

Kenya finds itself in a quagmire, thanks to the quality of leaders we have. While preoccupied with feathering their own nests, everything else is forgotten to the detriment of the common man. Only now, for instance, is the magnitude of corruption and contraband killing local industry, becoming apparent.

The Registrar of Political Parties’ proposal to bar party-hopping and stop candidates who fail to make it through the party nomination stage from running as independent candidates in subsequent elections is welcome. It is only when we get principled leaders; those who acknowledge defeat and prepare to fight another time that we shall start getting responsible leaders to steer the country to greater heights of achievement.

Already, there are fears that the proposal could be sabotaged by Members of Parliament. This need not be the case. Sitting Members of Parliament should rise to the occasion, see the value in this proposal and pass it into law without much ado when it gets presented for deliberation.