MPs in Ruto, Raila camps split over coalition deadline

ODM aspirants during a rally in Malindi. [File, Standard]

The vicious battle being played out in Parliament over the controversial Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021 has narrowed down to two sticky issues: The time frame within which a coalition party can be formed, and what criteria to use in picking voters to take part in nominations.

According to the government-sponsored Bill, parties seeking to form a Coalition Political Party (CPP) or a pre-election coalition will be required to deposit an agreement with the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties at least six months to polls.

Fear by some parties that they could be locked out of entering such arrangements has since triggered an avalanche of proposed amendments as MPs yesterday sought to reduce the period from the proposed six months.

Garissa Township MP Aden Duale, Didmus Barasa (Kimilili) and Ayub Savula (Lugari) were among MPs who wanted the period reduced to three months before the polls.

“That clause 8 of the Bill be amended in paragraph (b) by deleting the words “six months” appearing immediately after the words “at least” and substituting therefor the words “sixty days””, Barasa proposed.

Yesterday, the House deferred debate on the Bill to allow members go through a report by the National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAIC). The decision to defer debate was arrived at after it emerged that the 21-day period for public participation expired last evening at 5pm.

The debate is listed for second reading this morning with plans to speed up the process all the way to the Committee of the Whole House by today evening.

At least 17 MPs had by yesterday filed proposals seeking to introduce amendments to the Bill that has presented yet another battle front between forces backing President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga on one side against Deputy President William Ruto on the other.

One of the contested clauses in the Bill is about the criteria for conducting party primaries. The Bill has proposed either direct nomination or having only registered members of a party participating in nomination of candidates. The other alternative is indirect nomination that will involves use of delegates in party primaries. The Bill states that the registrar of political parties will be involved in preparing list of party delegates.

Ruto allies have claimed that this proposal will open the gates for external interference in party primaries and want the clause dropped.

“The new definition of the term nomination shall limit the democratic space of political Parties. Indeed, one wonders what shall happen in instances where political parties would want to nominate candidates for strategic reasons. The new definition of direct party nominations appears to lock out such instances,” states Barasa.

Savula said passing the Bill would end up locking out parties that seek to form coalitions. He cited One Kenya Alliance (OKA), which is yet to settle on its presidential candidate. He said passing the Bill in its current form will imply that they have to settle on OKA’s candidate by next year February.

“That clause 8(b) of the Bill be amended in the proposed provision by deleting the word six and substituting therefore the word “three”,” Savula proposed.

OKA brings together Amani National Congress (ANC) boss Musalia Mudavadi, Kanu Chairman Gideon Moi, Wiper’s Kalonzo Musyoka and Ford Kenya party leader Moses Wetang’ula.