Amani National Congress leader Musalia Mudavadi’s allies in the National Assembly have teamed up with Deputy President William Ruto's partners to resist a proposal by allies of President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader, Raila Odinga.
Uhuru and Raila's allies tabled a proposal for the formation of a coalition political party that supported a pre-election agreement six months before the General Election.
However, MPs allied to Mudavadi, Ford Kenya leader Moses Wetangula and DP Ruto want to shorten the timeline for submission of the coalition agreement to three months to the elections.
They argued that the amendment proposing six months is a plan to force One Kenya Alliance (OKA) principals to reveal their presidential strategy by February 2022.
“This is a trap for us in OKA. When you look at other presidential candidates, they are prepared. Raila is ready under the Azimio la Umoja and Ruto is also ready under United Democratic Alliance (UDA).
"It is only us in OKA that are yet to come up with our presidential candidate and we cannot do it between now and February,” ANC deputy party leader, Ayub Savula, stated.
Savula wants Clause 8 (b) of the bill amended so that the provision of six months is replaced with three months.
“Notice is given that I (Savula) intends to move amendments to the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill that clause 8 (b) of the bill be amended in the proposed provision by deleting the ‘six’ and substituting, therefore, the word ‘three’,” Savula’s proposed amendment read.
Ford Kenya secretary-general, Chris Wamalwa, also stated they will move a similar amendment to ensure parties deposit a coalition pact three months to the elections and not six as proposed.
“The general objective of the bill is good but we must address the issue of timelines. We can’t be forced to do it within six months. In OKA, we are still doing negotiations and negotiations are delicate as it involves give and take,” Wamalwa stated.
Savula and Wamalwa's proposals are similar to others fronted by former Majority Leader, Aden Duale and Kimilili MP, Didmus Barasa.
It also emerged that ANC and Ford-Kenya have fallen out with Wiper, which is a party led by Kalonzo Musyoka, who is reportedly in talks with President Kenyatta and Raila. Already, Wiper has a cooperation agreement with President Kenyatta’s Jubilee.
