NAIROBI, Kenya Jan 6 – Analysts have termed the Political Parties Amendment Bill 2021 which was approved by the National Assembly as an attempt to legislate trust in the political sector.
Speaking to Capital FM, Governance and Political Analyst Joseph Shimekha said the amendments whose main objective is to allow for the formation of a coalition political party were unnecessary.
“Because of a serious deficit in trust, President Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister Raila Odinga are being forced to come up with this strange animal which is almost like legislating trust. It is like they are trying to give a guarantee that this coalition is protected under the law,” he said.
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He disagreed with those who have argued that the Azimio la Umoja Coalition plan borrows heavily from the defunct Mwai Kibaki’s National Rainbow Coalition of 2002, which brought to an end Kanu’s 39 years rule.
Just like Narc, there will be a hybrid system where Azimio la Umoja Coalition and individual parties will field candidates separately during the August polls.
He said the intention in the Bill sponsored by Majority Leader Amos Kimunya seeking to create a Coalition Political Party is an ‘oxymoron because it seeks to create what is already there.’
‘It’s like saying a parent-child, you have both and one at the same time. Because a coalition is already a grouping of political parties.”
”So we are trying to force the laws to solve for us, problems of our natural character. The law may provide for us a basis but the law will never solve for us, problems of our national character such as cheating, lying and mistrust,” the political analyst said.
Speaking when announcing his candidature on December 10 last year, Raila Odinga declared that he will be using the Azimio La Umoja Movement as his election machine.
He further revealed that he is planning to either have joint nominations or zone the country.
