Photos/FILE Narc-Kenya, who's party leader is Martha Karua (left), expelled Makadara MP Gideon Mbuvi (right) and suspended his Juja counterpart William Kabogo (centre) for three months for violating the party’s constitution.
By KIPCHUMBA SOME ksome@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Saturday, October 22 2011 at 22:30
Posted Saturday, October 22 2011 at 22:30
Nearly 20 MPs from small political parties risk losing their seats for violating their parties’ constitutions.
Should their parties strictly enforce the Political Parties Act and take action against them, they may have to face the electorate before next year’s general election, political analysts say.
The issue has come to the fore following this week’s expulsion of two MPs by their parties.
Narc-Kenya expelled Makadara MP Gideon Mbuvi and suspended his Juja counterpart William Kabogo for three months for violating the party’s constitution. (READ:Karua faces off with Sonko supporters)
Safina also cracked the whip on its errant members by expelling Mathira MP Ephraim Maina.
Now analysts contend that the number of MPs facing disciplinary action could actually rise should other parties follow suit.
“Most of them (parties) actually have valid grounds to do so,” said Moi University law lecturer Onesmus Murkomen.
“It is only that they have not been keen, for reasons best known to them, to pursue these cases.”
Mr Mbuvi and Mr Kabogo were punished for campaigning for Kamukunji MP Hassan Yusuf who was vying under the PNU ticket instead of Narc-Kenya’s Brian Weke during the recent by-elections.
Mr Maina was punished for openly campaigning for Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta who has declared his interest in the presidency. (READ: Back Uhuru for top seat, urges Murugi)
Similar action
There are currently several MPs from small parties who observers contend could lose their seats if similar action is taken against them for their association with other parties and presidential candidates from other parties.
The decision by the two parties brings into focus the ill-defined nature of the relationship between small parties and the larger ones.
The two dominant parties, PNU and ODM, both have several smaller parties associated with them.
Indeed, in defending themselves against the accusations levelled against them, Mr Mbuvi and Mr Kabogo said they did nothing wrong in campaigning for the PNU candidate as their party is an affiliate of PNU.
The trend of seeking to expel MPs who do not toe party lines was started last year when PDP wrote to Registrar of Political Parties Lucy Ndung’u to expel Foreign Affairs assistant minister Richard Onyonka of Kitutu Chache for his close association with ODM.
At the time, Ms Ndung’u declined to act on the request and instead referred the matter to House Speaker Kenneth Marende who ruled in favour of Mr Onyonka. The Speaker ruled that the two parties had a working relationship. (READ: Speaker declines to declare seat vacant)
Long accused of lacking teeth to bite, or fearing to bite with the ones she has, Ms Ndung’u has this time round indicated that she will act in the case of Mr Maina after receiving the minutes of the Safina meeting that expelled him.
He and Mr Mbuvi have challenged their expulsions in court. The need for party discipline has become paramount as the country inches towards the next general elections.
Quite ironical
For instance, it is quite ironical that despite Narc-Kenya party leader Martha Karua announcing her intentions to run for the presidency, the two party rebel MPs have voiced their support for Mr Kenyatta, her political nemesis.
The same goes to Mr Maina who has supported the Gatundu North MP despite his party chairman Paul Muite also expressing interest in the same seat.
“You cannot claim to be a member of a party while undermining it at the same time,” said Mr Murkomen.
Although the problem of party associations is most pronounced in PNU, its main challenger, ODM, could also see some MPs from parties allied to it being disciplined.
Ford-People have also questioned the association between its sole representative in Parliament, Mr Manson Nyamweya of South Mugirango, with ODM. Mr Nyamweya was recently appointed an assistant minister even though ODM never campaigned for him.
Perhaps realising the weighty nature the matter has assumed, a number of MPs from the small parties who have openly declared their support for candidates from other parties declined to comment when contacted by the Sunday Nation.
“It might raise unnecessary issues with my party at this time,” said an MP who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Nairobi Metropolitan Development minister Njeru Githae, also of Narc-Kenya, has termed the decisions by Safina and his party as dictatorial, saying the days when political parties expelled members who expressed divergent views were long gone.
No comments:
Post a Comment