'New opposition' should make its presence felt in Parliament

The emerging grouping of out-of-government political bigwigs promises to bring back a strong opposition that keeps the government in check. Since a section of ODM joined the Kenya Kwanza government, led by former Opposition chief Raila Odinga, the official opposition coalition in Parliament has all but aligned itself with the Kenya Kwanza wing of the government.

From the outset, I should point out that the boundary between the ruling coalition, Kenya Kwanza, and the Opposition is so blurred that you don’t know who is in or out of government. The distinction we may easily make is for the big names lining up to challenge the incumbent in the next general election.

Led by Rigathi Gachagua, Kalonzo Musyoka, George Natembeya and Fred Matiang’i the team is building itself as a political outfit, whatever name it gives itself, capable of providing the incumbent a run for his money. As it stands, this team has seasoned articulate leaders such as Edwin Sifuna, Gathoni Wamuchomba and Simba Arati to do the policy articulation and ground mobilisation.

My point for today is how important this team is in checking government excesses. On the ground, the grouping is gaining currency. It is building a voter base. It is checking out the government on several of its promises to the citizens. This, as we know, is the role of an official opposition.

We are just halfway to the next general elections, but the campaign pace is in high gear. Some of us have given up reminding the government that it has a mandate to govern, to design and implement programmes while it has the time to do so and therefore improve its scorecard when the election campaign officially begins. It has denied itself the opportunity for a peaceful time to concentrate on service delivery, which is regrettable.

Government in waiting

Anyway, the emerging grouping has numbers in Parliament. This is the best time to gather its power in the House and seize the moment to put the government on its toes. The same energy and heat that this emerging team is generating in markets, by roadsides, town halls, and in the media should be consolidated in Parliament.

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Cumulatively, the number of those who have moved out of government is sufficient to engage the government side in Parliament meaningfully on key issues affecting this country. The debates on education, health, and the cost of living, for example, require policy engagement in Parliament between the Opposition and government sides. The emerging coalition should test its unity and capacities in Parliament to provide voters with an informed insight into what to expect from the “government in waiting.”

The Parliamentarians in support of Kalonzo and Gachagua and those who have lost favour or interest in the Kenya Kwanza have two years to establish themselves as the people’s eyes and ears in the House.

Arguably, the current Parliament has lost the glory of the August House more than at any other time. Its composition was recently put to question by a court ruling. The ruling that the Kenya Kwanza alliance is not the majority alliance in Parliament raised eyebrows on the legitimacy of the House’s current power arrangement. The opposition made a bit of noise but soon settled for the crumbs.

Section 14(5) of the Political Parties Act is clear that a member of one party or coalition cannot actively engage in campaigning for another party. It states that “… A person who, while being a member of a political party in any way or manner, publicly advocates for the formation of another political party; or (e) promotes the ideology, interests or policies of another political party, shall be deemed to have resigned from the previous political party.” This law was conveniently shelved to allow cross-pollination between parties.

In the context of the ongoing political realignments, it is challenging to distinguish when the government side is speaking and when the opposition side is responding in Parliament. The rules that determine the mandate of the two, both within and outside the House, have been quietly shelved. The emerging coalition should correct this mess.

-Dr Mokua is Executive Director of Loyola Centre for Media and Communication