Speaker Muturi calls off special sitting after the passage of political parties Bill

The National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has called off special sitting scheduled for today hours after Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021 was passed.

The Speaker through Clerk of the National Assembly Michael Sialai, said one of the key agendas that the House had convened for the Third Reading of the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill 2021 had been concluded, occasioning the cancellation of the subsequent two sittings.

On Monday, the Speaker had gazetted a three-day special sitting to debate on the clauses of coalition parties Bill.

“Hon. members, you are notified that, following the passage of the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021 and deferment of the consideration of the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal (Amendment) Bill 2021, the Speaker has since called off the special sittings of the House of today (Thursday, January 6) and tomorrow, Friday (January 7),” said Sialai.

The lawmakers will now resume normal sittings on Tuesday, January 25 at 2:30 pm after their Christmas and New Year recess.

Mps yesterday night passed the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill giving the formation of a coalition party greenlight.

The controversial bill that brought chaos between MPs supporting the handshake and those allied to Deputy President William Ruto in the National Assembly, sets the timeframe for coalition formation.

The Bill, sponsored by Majority Leader of the National Assembly Amos Kimunya, will now proceed to the Senate for consideration.

The Bill is intended to pave way for a coalition between President Uhuru Kenyatta and Raila Odinga namely Azimio la Umoja Movement.

The proposals which are at the core of the Political Parties Amendment Bill proposed that at least six months before the August polls for coalition formation but Kimunya sought to reduce it to at least four months.

The Bill seeks to allow candidates to run on either coalition party tickets or individual parties, among other provisions.

It also defines political parties as an association of citizens with an unidentifiable ideology or programme that is constituted for the purposes of influencing public policy or nominating candidates to conduct elections.

Should Senators amend the legislation, it will have to be taken back to the National Assembly for consideration.