This archive report was first published on 5 January 2022.
Published on January 5, 2022, Nairobi — The National Assembly is set to hold a three-day special sitting to debate the Political Parties Amendment Bill of 2021. The sitting, which starts on Wednesday, is expected to be a tense affair, with members of Parliament (MPs) from different factions flexing their muscles.
Majority Leader Amos Kimunya, who is the sponsor of the Bill, is confident that the amendments will be dispensed with and the Bill forwarded to the Senate for concurrence. He claims to have marshaled enough members to ensure a smooth passage of the Bill.
"I am confident that we will amend laws without acrimony witnessed previously. Some MPs have even written to indicate that they will drop their amendments. This essentially means that we will just deal with the Bill within two days or so," Kimunya said.
Kimunya's goal is to have the Bill ready for President Uhuru Kenyatta's assent by the end of January. He believes that the Bill should be passed by both houses this month so that political aspirants and parties have a clear understanding of the procedure they should follow.
Majority Whip Emmanuel Wangwe has cautioned MPs against engaging in acrimony while debating the Bill. He insists that they are ready to counter any moves that might impede the Bill's passage.
On the other hand, MPs loyal to Deputy President William Ruto have promised to ensure that their amendments in the Political Parties bill sail through. They claim to have numbers to carry the day and are willing to drag out the debate to ensure that they have good laws that will serve the interest of Kenyans.
