National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has urged the Centre for Multiparty Democracy (CMD) to step up its efforts to strengthen political parties.
Wetangula acknowledged the role played by CMD in the growth and stability of political parties.
"I challenge CMD to engage political parties to understand that they are not only vehicles for elections," Wetangula said.
Wetangula was speaking when he hosted CMD Chairperson Priscila Nyokabi and other officials.
The Speaker who also doubles as the CMD patron added that there is still more that needs to be done.
"There is a need for us to have meetings on a quarterly basis to discuss gains we have achieved, challenges and chat way forward," he added.
Wetang'ula said since the introduction of Multiparty in the country, Kenya has made great strides in the improvement of democratic space.
The Speaker observed that the country is currently going through tough economic challenges adding that political parties had a critical role in ensuring Kenya's economic recovery.
"Kenya should borrow a leaf from Malaysia and Vietnam that recovered from serious economic woes occasioned by political instability to be among the top economic giants in the world," he said.
He added that political parties should now shift their focus to the economic transformation of the country adding that they can effectively undertake this role because of their influence in the society and to citizens.
"Vietnam picked one of the coffee species in Kenya, developed it and now it has become the third largest coffee producer after Brazil and Colombia," he added.
Nyokabi thanked the Speaker for hosting them adding that such meetings will go a long way in helping CMD run its activities effectively.
