“This country must make a decision on whether they want to embrace multi-partyism or they do not,” Ogindo said.
Shakeel added; “The Election Act requires you should be loyal to you party, this parliament has been a sit of defection and counter-defection”
Joint Government Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo and Deputy Leader of Government Business Amos Kimunya led MPs Sophia Abdi, Abdi Nuh and Peter Munya in supporting the amendment saying leaders should not be imposed to electorate by political parties.
“We have not as a country reached a point of political maturity and Kenyans must be given freedom to elect leaders of their choice,” Nuh explained.
Munya said: “freedom of association is a constitutional right to each Kenyan and must be guaranteed.”
Imenti North MP Cyrus Muriuki says party hopping should be allowed until 45 days to the election when politicians should stay in one party.
Tetu MP F.T Nyammo added: “The era of political party dictatorships is long gone. You cannot restrict Kenyans to a certain way of thinking. Intellectual property must be given freedom it needs.”
Hellen Sambili and Muriuki Ruteere said they had been locked out at the party nominations in 2007 and only got to Parliament after switching to small parties.
Sambili was elected on a UDM ticket after losing out in the ODM nomination while Ruteere was voted in through the Chama Cha Mazingira (CCM) after being edged out of the PNU nominations.
If MPs fail to pass Ruto’s amendment, then almost half of MPs and councillors will have to resign from their seats and formally join their new parties by tomorrow in order to comply with Section 28 of the Election Act.
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