The creation of the office of official leader of opposition and that of the deputy leader of opposition may soon become a reality after a member of Parliament moved a proposal to have the two offices established in law.
Bumula MP Wamboka Wanami, in a proposal tabled before the National Assembly’s Legal Affairs Committee, wants the two offices created in law and funded by the taxpayer.
Appearing before the committee chaired by Tharaka MP George Murugara (Tharaka), Wamboka said the office bearer shall be a candidate from the political party that receives the second greatest number of votes in a Presidential Election.
He argues that the creation of the two offices will not only offer a better mechanism to criticize the government and accommodate the runners up in an election, but will also help increase representation.
Further, through the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, the legislator also seeks to amend section 25 of the Principal Act by deleting subsection (1), and substituting a new subsection to provide for the distribution of funds to the two offices from the Political Parties Fund.
According to the provisions of the Constitution, establishment of such an office would call for a referendum.
However, Wamboka argues that this amendment Bill would cut off this requirement.
“We have a problem in the country. The constitutional way is going to take a lot of time. This move is meant to quell some of the tension that exists in the country,” Wamboka told members of the committee.
According to the legislator, the establishment of these offices will promote active participation by individual citizens in political life including organizing civic education in democracy and other electoral processes and influencing and shaping public opinion on matters of good governance, democracy and electoral processes.
The proposal to create the office of official leader of opposition and that of the deputy comes in the wake of intensified calls by President William Ruto led Kenya Kwanza Alliance as well as the opposition Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance to have the two offices established in law.
The two coalitions have insisted that the establishment of the two offices will not only help improve oversight of government functions and duties, but will also help accommodate losers in elections by increasing representation.
The discussions to create the two offices are also part of the ongoing bi-partisan talks between the two coalitions which was brokered by both Dr Ruto and Azimio leader Raila Odinga.
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