Narok Senator, Ledama Olekina has said that the Political parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021 (Coalition Bill) is not ODM leader Raila Odinga’s bill, as those opposed to it have widely claimed.
Speaking on Monday, Ledama said that the Senate will debate the bill with sobriety and persuasion, unlike how it was done in the National Assembly.
“By them saying this is a bill for Raila Amollo Odinga, Raila is not in parliament, it is us who are in parliament,” he said on Citizen TV.
“I’m happy the debate in the Senate will be logical, it will be one of persuasion, it will not be one of the people throwing words without going through clause by clause and telling Kenyans this is why we are changing this and bringing this.”
PARTY DISCIPLINE
The senator insisted that the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill defines what a political party means and also brings discipline on when political coalitions can be formed.
“What we are being asked by the proposers of these amendments is to either agree to bring discipline into coalitions or to allow indiscipline to prevail,” Ledama said.
“We should not be criticised, we should not be vilified by wanting to go with this amendment,” he added.
He accused those opposed to the amendment of focusing only on one aspect of the amendment, instead of talking about the other proposed amendments in the bill.
Senators will sit on Tuesday to discuss the controversial Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021.
Speaker Kenneth Lusaka recalled the lawmakers for a special sitting to debate the bill that seeks to create coalition parties.
The controversial bill was passed by the National Assembly in a chaotic session last week, on Wednesday night.
Allies of Deputy President William Ruto employed all manner of tactics, including several amendments in an apparent attempt to frustrate and defeat the bill that seeks to anchor ODM Raila Odinga’s Azimio La Umoja as a coalition party.
But their attempts were repulsed by Raila and President Uhuru Kenyatta’s troops.
Often, the sessions degenerated into chaos with members exchanging blows.
Shouting matches, name-calling and verbal attacks characterised the sitting. BY THE STAR