President William Ruto’s UDA party on Tuesday, October 3, submitted its proposal to the National Dialogue Committee (NDC) at the Bomas of Kenya.
In a clear reference to opposition leaders Raila Odinga and Martha Karua, Kenya Kwanza through UDA Secretary General Cleophas Malala proposed an amendment to Article 37 of the Kenyan Constitution to regulate the rights to demonstration and picketing.
This if adopted would automatically disqualify leaders associated with violent demonstrations from seeking elective posts.
“We are conscious of the Bill of Rights as enshrined in the Constitution. We propose legislation to regulate the right to demonstration and picketing enshrined in Article 37,
“The legislation should specifically address and provide mechanisms to bar political leaders who lead violent demonstrations from vying for any other elective position,” Malala said.
The proposal said the organizers should provide technicalities of their protests and hold leaders accountable for damage and loss of life.
“Further, the legislation should mandate the organizers of the demonstrations to gazette the venue, time, and reason for picketing. The legislation should provide measures to ensure the leaders and organizers of violent protests, which may occasion the destruction of property and loss of lives, are held liable. This will encourage sanity and order in our political class,” he explained.
Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition Party presidential candidate Raila Odinga and her 2022 presidential running mate Martha Karua have been leading anti-government demonstrations in the push for the audit of the 2022 presidential results.
The protests claimed dozens of innocent lives leaving hundreds of other Kenyans with serious gunshot injuries.
Further properties of unknown value were destroyed, prompting the Kenya Kwanza government to intervene and bring the protests to an end through the formation of the National Dialogue Committee.
