Showdown as rivals clash over parties Bill

MPs Japhet Mutai (Bomet) and Minority Leader Junet Mohammed (left ) engage JLAC chair at Parliament Buildings. December 28, 2021. [Samson Wire, Standard]

A protest walkout by MPs allied to Deputy President William Ruto and a threat by a rival camp to block some amendments yesterday offered a sneak peek to the showdown expected in Parliament today.

A committee meeting convened to build consensus over an avalanche of proposed amendments to the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021, turned into a theatre of grandstanding and shouting match pitting forces behind President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga against MPs backing Ruto.

The Uhuru-Raila allies yesterday sought to block inclusion of various amendments by lawmakers in Ruto’s camp, who stormed out of the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) meeting.

By last evening, the committee – populated by backers of the Handshake duo – were in the process of including a recommendation that MPs who failed to prosecute their amendments before JLAC be barred from presenting them before the Committee of the Whole House this morning.

“A report has findings, observations and recommendations. One of my recommendations is that those members who walked out are in contempt of the committee and should not be entertained at the plenary,” said Minority Whip Junet Mohamed during the stormy session.

His proposal was backed by a majority of members, who described the walkout as contempt to the committee instructed by National Assembly Deputy Speaker Moses Cheboi to harmonise the proposed amendments.

“The Speaker having made communication for harmonisation and Parliament having facilitated MPs to attend; if a member refuses to avail (sic) himself or herself, then that member should not be entertained. This is a matter we have to take with the Speaker tomorrow before we proceed to the Committee of the Whole House,” said Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma.

But while addressing a public gathering in Turbo, Uasin Gishu County, Ruto rallied his MPs to shoot down the Bill.

The DP claimed there is a scheme to hand the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) imperial powers in the running of party primaries.

The Bill has proposed direct and indirect nominations. In direct, only registered party members will be allowed to participate in the nominations while indirect involve participation of delegates. Delegates are to be identified by ORPP.

A host of Ruto allies have raised issues with the powers to be handed to the registrar and have proposed amendments, including seeking to introduce creation of a Political Parties Registration Board.

Registrar of Political Parties, Anne Nderitu during a past forum. [Samson Wire, Standard]

According to the amendments, the board’s mandate would be to regulate, register, monitor and supervise political parties.

The escalating political battle over the controversial law, largely expected to shape the 2022 succession politics, has seen Ruto’s United Democratic Alliance (UDA) planning to take the contest to the corridors of justice over alleged lack of public participation.

Garissa Township MP Aden Duale led MPs Alice Wahome (Kandara), Kimani Ichung’wah (Kikuyu), Didmus Barasa (Kimilili), Owen Baya (Kilifi North), Daniel Tuitoek (Mogotio) and John Mutunga (Tigania West) in a walk out.

They hurriedly convened a press conference where they claimed there was a scheme to sanitise the process, which they said was illegal.

Duale claimed the presence of Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu and the chairperson of the Political Parties Disputes Tribunal in the meeting was to meant to regularise lack of public participation.

“We asked the chair to hear us first before they can continue with the other stakeholders but that was not allowed. We can now confirm to the country that the other stakeholders were invited as part of a wider scheme to sanitise the process,” said Duale.