Elected officials seeking to shift allegiance to other coalitions will have to terminate their initial pacts and resign from parties that sponsored them to win elective seats.
This is after the Registrar of Political Parties Anne Nderitu termed party exodus illegal and uncalled
for in response to indignation on it from decamped sides.
“Politicians seeking to shift allegiance to other coalitions will have to terminate their original pacts and resign from the parties that sponsored them to win elective seats and it’s a process,” said Nderitu.
Nderitu explained that the political parties’ statute makes it clear that a single party cannot sign on more than one coalition.
Additionally, she said that there was currently no request on the ORPP’s desk from any party suggesting to sever connections with a coalition as she engaged the public on her Twitter platform.
“So it remains to be seen, legally, how the pre and post-election agreements will work out,” she tweeted.
Following William Ruto’s declaration by Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) chairperson Wafula Chebukati as the president-elect, he has been on sprint mission to persuade several politicians to change political sides to a bid to bolster his camp.
The Azimio One Kenya Alliance and Kenya Kwanza coalitions are in a battle for control of the bicameral chambers’ members; Legally, Azimio camp has a majority of 162 parliamentarians, while Kenya Kwanza has a total of 159.
However, neither of the two factions has been able to secure the absolute majority needed to approve significant legislation in the two houses.
Ruto appears to be on a mission to secure his victory even though a looming legal battle to contest the presidential results is expected at the Supreme Court of Kenya.
He has taken extra steps by meeting with Azimio affiliate lawmakers, including United Democratic Movement (UDM), United Party of Independent Alliance (UPIA), and Kenya African National Union (KANU).
The two camps are readying for the 13th parliament.
Nderitu informed any coalition lead by a politician of her awareness of the right to freedom of association, however, she asked individuals who intended to participate in such activities to properly abide by the law.
“They can associate however they want but they cannot be in two coalitions. They have to resign from one. So far, I have not received a request from any party that wants to leave a coalition,” Nderitu stated.