Senate Committee to Receive IEBC Views on Political Parties (Amendment) Bill » Capital News
NAIROBI, Kenya 21 January – The Senate Justice, Legal and Human Rights Committee will on Friday receive submissions from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) among other key political players on the Bill amendment of the political parties of 2021.
The polling firm that was contracted to conduct the polls has previously said key changes in election laws could alter its responsibility to ensure free and fair elections on August 9.and polls.
The committee headed by Nyamira Senator Okongo Omogeni, which yesterday began public participation in the bill, will also receive views from the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties, the Judiciary Committee on Elections and the Attorney General.
Leading civil society bodies, including the Kenya National Human Rights Commission (KNCHR), Law Society of Kenya (LSK), Katiba Institute, among other organizations, will also give their views on the draft law that has caused tension within the political division.
On Thursday, the County Assemblies Forum asked the Senate to withdraw a proposal to empower the Registrar of Political Parties to register coalition parties.
The Center for Multi-Party Democracy headed by Senator-nominee Abshiro Halakhe has also asked the Committee to propose a new law that will govern how political party nominations are to be conducted.
“Political party primaries need to be legislated as stand-alone rather than just being one of the things to do in this bill,” she said.
Earlier, the Administrative and Legal Secretary of the Central Organization of Trade Unions (COTU), Issac Okello said that he fully supports the amendments as they will bring discipline in the sphere of political parties.
The union said the amendment requiring political parties to have an ideology to inform a party’s slogan will provide direction and inspiration to its members.
The National Youth Council wanted the allocations for minorities in the Political Parties Fund to be adjusted from the current 15% to 30%, as this will encourage political parties to increase the participation of minorities and people with disabilities.