The National Assembly Wednesday debated the constitutional amendment proposals brought before the house through a memo by President Wiliam Ruto.
The session resulted in a sharp division in the house where MPs allied to the Azimio la Umoja coalition strongly opposed the motion terming the amendments a non-priority to Kenyans amid the tough economic times, while legislators aligned to the ruling party argued that the issues raised are equally pertinent and timely.
Kenya Kwanza maintained that the office of opposition leader is not for a particular individual but for posterity.
Earlier, President Ruto in a letter to Speakers of both the National Assembly and Senate requested the introduction of a constitutional amendment bill to set up the office of the official opposition leader.
According to the President, such an office would institutionalize governance, strengthen oversight and deepen democracy in the country.
Further, the head of State during an interview with journalists at the state house said that his aim for creating the office was to promote accountability within his government.
“I want to create an office that promotes accountability in my government. In a democracy, being power-drunk is very easy, especially if there are no checks and balances,” he said.
During a Kenya Kwanza Parliamentary Group meeting, Ruto urged MPs to support the proposal, which he said would make the opposition more effective in holding the government accountable.
President Ruto after his election as the fifth President ruled out the possibility of engaging in a political handshake with his rival.
He said he intends to work with his competitors in their official capacity as the opposition in a bid to buttress his administration to ensure he runs a government that operates under checks and balances.