Former Bomet Governor Isaac Rutto has backed calls to have law changes so that opposition leaders are nominated to Parliament.
He said candidates who lose in a Presidential election need to be "given a second life" so that they can advance their oversight roles. He spoke at Mokindo Primary School at Ndarawetta in Bomet Central on Friday.
He said as a result of the handshake, opposition leaders having been integrated into the government and there was no one to keep checks and balances.
He said there were many critical issues facing the country which have not been tackled well due to lack of an effective opposition.
"You cannot drive a bus from outside...we need to have people, the likes of Raila [Odinga], Kalonzo [Musyoka] and others, to fight the cause while in Parliament," he said.
Rutto said while he supports President Uhuru Kenyatta's decision to unite with opposition leaders, their powers have been clipped.
At the same time, he told politicians to respect independent institutions.
Citing the office of the President, which has lately come under sharp criticism by politicians, Rutto said the only way such institutions can deliver on their mandates is if everyone supports it rather than hurling abuses against it.
