In order to arrive at an objective verdict on this matter, it is important to interrogate it through the triple lenses of the constitutional requirement for Parliament and political parties, the role of political parties in parliamentary processes and finally, on our future national aspirations for political parties. The Constitution requires political parties to reflect national character, uphold national unity and respect the rights of minorities and marginalised groups in the political process. Traditionally, political parties have usually utilised the platform of parliamentary group meetings to seek consensus on matters that require their input. Democratic stateALSO READ: What's next from Raila’s bag of political tricksThe need to preserve political parties as the bastions of our democracy as per Article 4(2) of our constitution defines Kenya as a multi-party democratic state. This should be a future aspiration for Kenya where political parties matter, but is only possible if we allow our parties to grow and strengthen their internal structures, including disciplinary mechanisms.

Source: Standard Digital January 30, 2018 21:05 UTC