The Mt Kenya Times 
Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo addresses the media on the bipartisan talks on Tuesday 25th April at crown plaza Hotel. Photo | Courtesy
By: Joseph Mutua Ndonga
Worth Noting:
- One, failure by the Kenya Kwanza side to support our push for resignation or removal of two MPs- Aden Keynan and David Pkosing-as members of the joint committee.
- The bone of contention here is that two won their respective seat through tickets of the parties affiliated to Azimio coalition.
- One of our demands is meant to safeguard the tenets of democracy. This is by stopping the party hopping of the MPs who were allegedly pushing selfish agenda and betraying trust bestowed on them by voters.
- But wait a minute!. How did the law stating that an MP can only lose his seat if he or she writes a resignation letter to the Speaker of National Assembly got enacted?
Two days ago, the 14-member parliamentary committee established to resolve the disputes arising from last year’s general election held the second meeting.
After the meeting, the writing was on the wall that the talks have hit a dead-end as the co-chairs proceeded to address separate press conference.
The Azimio La Umoja One Kenya Coalition statement was blunt and candid.
The talks have collapsed. There is no need of lying to Kenyans that we are doing anything.
While flanked by the members of his team, MP Otiende Omollo attributed the cause of stalemate to two main areas of disagreements.
One, failure by the Kenya Kwanza side to support our push for resignation or removal of two MPs- Aden Keynan and David Pkosing-as members of the joint committee.
The bone of contention here is that two won their respective seat through tickets of the parties affiliated to Azimio coalition.
One of our demands is meant to safeguard the tenets of democracy. This is by stopping the party hopping of the MPs who were allegedly pushing selfish agenda and betraying trust bestowed on them by voters.
But wait a minute!. How did the law stating that an MP can only lose his seat if he or she writes a resignation letter to the Speaker of National Assembly got enacted?
Where was Azimio leader Raila Odinga at the time? How come he did not blow the whistle? How come he did not push for postponement of elections until this matter is addressed?
If you ask me, he had no problem with this law because he he had high expectations he would win the elections.
He believed Dr Ruto was poised to become the opposition leader. To push his agenda in parliament, he (Raila) needed to poach members of his Kenya Kwanza party and lure them to join his camp by giving them some enticements.
As such, that clause would help him to make them shift loyalties with ease as they will not be required to resign and seek fresh mandate.
As a country, this is where we go wrong. The lawmakers enacted laws largely designed to push their selfish interests and those of their party leaders.
So in my considered view, Azimio’s move to list this as one of the reasons that have stalled the bipartisan talks is unlikely to get public support and sympathy.
Raila’s anger is well understood. It emanates from the fact that he lost the elections to President William Ruto.
He never thought President Uhuru’s shoe will be worn by him.
God and the people of Kenya were however on Dr Ruto side. That is why he won the elections.
The second issue the Azimio cited was failure to reach consensus on agenda items.
The coalition’s insistence that all thier demands must be included and addressed did not augur well.
It sharply contradicted the cardinal principle of give-and-take. This spirit can be described as the engine of any successfully negotiations.
Yes, it is true that Kenya Kwanza government has also fronted their issues.
I have not heard Azimio faulting them.
The current constitution which was promulgated in 2010 is now 13 years old.
During this period, Kenyans had an opportunity to review, interrogate it and identify the grey areas.
So, President William Ruto is on the right track.
This is the moment to ensure that parliament has played its constitutional role.
This is by enacting new laws, reviewing and amending the provisions that falls within its mandate.
Joseph Mutua Ndonga is a writer and political analyst based in Nairobi
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