Let presidential candidates run for MP seats to cure winner-take-it-all: MP Mutuse

According to the first-time MP drawn from the Kenya Kwanza side in the August house, the proposed Office of the Leader of Opposition would not cure the winner-take-it-all animosity that has been undoing Kenya’s politics after every election.

In the recent past, President William Ruto has been keen on the creation, funding and operationalizing the office of leader of the opposition in parliament, but be anchored in law as part of the discussion agenda between the ruling party and the opposition. 

In his letter to the Kalonzo Musyoka and Kimani Ichungwa co-chaired committee, Mutuse expressed the view that the proposed creation of the opposition chief’s office would amount to duplication, as such office already exists by law.

He cautions that the desire to amend the constitution, as a section of leaders proposed, is flawed. He further argues that such an endeavor is an annexure to mutilating the constitution, and is akin to the thwarted attempt at amending the constitution in 2018 after a handshake. 

“I propose allowing presidential candidates to also run for membership in the National Assembly,” Mutuse recommended, adding the phrase ‘Official Opposition’ was replaced with ‘Minority Party’ while the phrase ‘Leader of Government Business’ became the ‘Leader of the Majority Party’, in the new constitution.

Should the Musyoka and Ichungwah co-chaired committee agree to the lawmaker’s suggestion, it means that during the 2027 General Election, all presidential candidates would be allowed to vie both for MP and presidency.

In the letter, Mutuse highlights that the Kenyan Constitution promulgated in 2010, does not prohibit a return of such a scenario, seemingly giving a nod to one of the would-be controversial political discussions.

“Article 99 on qualifications and disqualifications for election as MP and Article 137 on qualifications and disqualifications for election as President do not impose such limitations,” he told the committee in a letter seen by Citizen Digital. 

Meanwhile, the committee has encouraged members of the public to keep sending their memoranda ahead of the commencement of bipartisan talks, even as the team held talks with parliament over finances.

Last week, the bi-partisan talks committee held a closed-door meeting with National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula in what insiders say was to seek financial support to deliver on their mandate.

The meeting, which lasted approximately an hour, was attended by the leader of Majority Kimani Ichungwa, Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, Minority leader Opiyo Wandayi and EALA MP Hassan Omar.