CAPTION: President Uhuru Kenyatta and Opposition leader Raila Odinga. Their political outfits have locked horns again over representation at the regional House. [Photo: Standard Digital]
President Uhuru Kenyatta's Jubilee Party and the Opposition's NASA coalition are in a new warfront over representation at the East Africa Legislative Assembly (EALA).
Kenya is supposed to nominate 9 members in the regional Parliament.
JP insists on having six of the available seats at EALA.
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale said the ruling party will use it numerical strength in both Houses of Parliament to bag the six slots.
He said JP had improved its numbers compared to the 11th Parliament, and, therefore, increase in numbers could mean additional slot.
"EALA will be on the table when Parliament resumes sitting on November 7 and as Jubilee we will present six names to EALA. It is about numbers," Duale told The Standard.
His remarks sparked uproar among NASA legislators, who have vowed to ensure the Opposition retains its four seats.
Suna East MP Junet Mohammed accused Jubilee of hoodwinking the public with the tyranny of numbers, saying the calculations should be based on the last Parliament's numbers.
"The numbers are almost the same. Why are they using independent MPs to inflate their numbers? Anything short of four slots for NASA will not be accepted," he said.
"Even if the current numbers were to be used, the distribution would still remain five against four for Jubilee and NASA respectively," Junet, the ODM Director of Elections added.
Picking of members to EALA stalled in the 11th Parliament after the Opposition submitted only four names against the requirement of a maximum of 15 nominees.