Senate passes Political Parties Amendment Bill, President Kenyatta to sign it into law
President Uhuru Kenyatta is set to sign into
law the Political Parties Amendment Bill after the Senate passed the bill
without any amendments.
This is despite a spirited effort by United Democratic Alliance (UDA) leaning Senators who proposed 15 amendments to the bill but they were all shot
down by the handshake leaning Senators.
Senators Irungu Kang'áta (Murang'a), Petronila
Were (Nominated), Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet), Enoch Wambua (Kitui),
Samson Cheragei (Nandi) and Isaac Mwaura (Nominated) were some of the lawmakers
who filed amendments to the bill.
Kang’ata sought to have clause 22 that
provides for methods of conducting party primaries deleted. The clause provides
for direct and indirect nominations
Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei also had
similar proposed amendments by seeking to expunge requirement that only
registered party members can participate in a nomination.
Kitui Senator Enoch Wambua, an ally of Wiper
leader Kalonzo Musyoka, dropped his proposed amendments. He had sought to amend
clause seven of the bill that has exempted accounts of political parties from
being audited.
However, President Kenyatta and his handshake
partner Raila Odinga had the final laugh when 28 Senators voted to support the bill with
only 3 dissenting.
The grand plan by the handshake partners is
to have law that will allow political parties to field candidates jointly
across the country under a coalition party.
DP Ruto allies had staged a spirited fight
against the bill describing it as a tool designed for selfish political
interests.
Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen
described the bill as “terrible, hopeless and useless” while warning his
colleagues from the rival camp that they will be the first victims of the law.
“The elections under the Constitution, is a
function of IEBC, unfortunately, because some people want to micromanage
political parties, they have given RPP the responsibility to manage political
parties in terms of verifying registers and giving specific timelines,”
protested Murkomen.
Similar opposition came from Senator Cherargei who accused the Senate Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs
and Human Rights of allegedly being influenced by external forces in writing
its reports.
After the passage of the bill, Cherargei said
they would be moving to the courts exuding confidence that the court will
strike out the bill that he termed as unconstitutional.
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