January 8, 2022, marked a day of intense debate in Kenya's political circles, with Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja at the center of a storm. According to a social media post, Sakaja was allegedly offered Ksh30 million by Deputy President William Ruto to marshal his fellow senators to invalidate the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill (NA Bill No. 56 of 2021), set to be discussed in the Senate.
However, Senator Sakaja has refuted these claims, urging his political opponents to 'chill a bit' as the Senate had not yet begun discussing the bill. In a statement, he wrote, 'Tell your bosses to chill a bit (ease). There’s no political party amendment being discussed or voted for in the Senate until the week of January 24. Hold your horses. Mnaingia baridi mapema [You are getting nervous at an early stage],'
Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka has announced a special sitting on January 11 to debate the bill, with senators given the option to attend physically or virtually. Voting will be by delegation, with a minimum of 24 delegates required for the bill to proceed.
Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka. PHOTO: TWITTER
