Blow to William Ruto's Camp as Senators Approve Political Parties Amendment Bill 2021

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Blow to William Ruto's Camp as Senators Approve Political Parties Amendment Bill 2021

Deputy President William Ruto-allied senators were left licking their wounds after their attempts to shoot down President Uhuru Kenyatta and former prime minister Raila Odinga-backed Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021, failed. 

The Azimio la Umoja team easily outnumbered Ruto's allies to see the Bill through the second reading.

Despite a great effort by United Democratic Alliance (UDA) party leaning legislators who proposed 15 amendments to the Bill, all were shot down. 

Uhuru and Raila had the last laugh after 29 senators voted to support the Bill with only seven votes against it. 

The handshake partners' wish was to have a law that would allow political parties to field candidates jointly across the country under a coalition party. 

Elgeyo Marakwet senator Kipchumba Murkomen warned colleagues from the rival camp that they would be the law's first victims. 

"The election under the Constitution is a function of IEBC, unfortunately, because some people want to micromanage political parties, they have given Registrar of Political Parties (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 being compromised by external forces. 

He was later forced to apologise to the House but said they would be moving to the courts to have the Bill declared unconstitutional. 

Earlier, Ruto reassured his supporters that his camp was ready to block any attempt to change the constitution, particularly the Political Parties Amendment Bill.

The deputy president threatened to use his allies to frustrate the Bill, which he argued was not in good faith and aimed at curtailing democracy. 

The proposed changes have been widely interpreted as part of the broader scheme by Uhuru and Raila to clear the way to create the Azimio Coalition Party. 





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