• In order to avoid more chaos, Duale said Muturi should allow adequate public participation.
• Duale revisited the deliberation of the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021 during which chaos was witnessed in the Assembly.
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
Former National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale has expressed a lack of faith in the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee mandate to effectively deliver on the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022 that is now on the floor of the house.
In a standing order note to Speaker Justin Muturi, Duale revisited the deliberation of the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2021, during which chaos was witnessed in the Assembly.
According to the lawmaker, the chaos and confusion will reoccur if it is left on the committee to deliver the Bill.
"Honourable Speaker, I could go on and on but allow me to say that what was clear is that the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee did not effectively deliver on the Bill hence the difficult legislative process," he said.
"In this regard, allow me to go on record and say many of us have no faith in the JLAC Committee to consider the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022 that is now before us. We cannot use the same tools, walk on the same road, use the same ingredients and expect different results. For this, we have to change."
Duale said the voice and reason of balance of the JLAC Committee were lost following the removal of key Members who were seasoned lawyers including Otiende Omollo.
"Honourable Speaker, I propose that the Bill having been read a First Time, the Bill be not committed to JLAC and you allow us time preferably in the next 48 hours, for us Members to consult among ourselves, across the political divide, beyond any political or religious ideology and across the professions and propose Members to a Special Committee which should consider the Bill and undertake extensive public participation and thereafter report to this House," he said.
In order to avoid more chaos and court battles, Duale said Muturi should allow adequate public participation.
"The Special Committee having been constituted does consider the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022, conduct extensive public participation and a report be tabled in the House for consideration in accordance with the Standing Orders," he said
The proposed changes on the election law to anchor a complementary system of managing the general election was scheduled for first reading in the Assembly on Tuesday afternoon.
The first attempt to take the bill through the formal introduction was met with resistance after UDA-allied MPs voted to defeat a motion to reduce its publication period from 14 days to five.
The reading of the Elections (Amendment) Bill, 2022 - as has been lined up in the Order Paper for plenary sittings, on Tuesday, would pave way for public participation.
After the first reading, the bill would be subject to the consideration of the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) after which they would be expected to issue a report for a vote in the plenary.
The law has sparked mixed reactions following some of its proposals seeking to allow manual transmission of results.
Earlier, IEBC and various stakeholders have defended the bill sponsored by Majority leader Amos Kimunya as one that stands to correct wrongs in the existing law.