The handshake between president Uhuru and ODM leader Raila Odinga has facilitated consensus and passing of bills in both houses of parliament in Kenya.
Before the president met the former premier, there were major divisions in parliament between the opposition and the government legislators.
Several unbecoming behaviors were exhibited by the legislators when contentious issues were being debated in the past.
There were times verbal altercations led to shouting matches over dissenting opinions on laws under debate.
Some chaotic instances were typified by fistfights, sexual harassment acts, tearing of clothes and sprinkling of water.
The best exemplification for the aforementioned scenario was during the passing of controversial security amendment Bill on 14th August 2014.
A section of the opposition, which was then (CORD), who were opposed to the bill, expressed their disaffection over what was in it.
“We are not going to allow this Bill to be passed by a few individuals who do not have the interest of Kenyans at heart as its contents are not good for Kenyans,”Ababu Namwamba, the then Budalangi MP said as quoted by Business Daily.
Since the opposition chief Raila Odinga agreed to work with the government, the opposition legislators have also been supporting the development agenda.
Therefore, the bills initiated by either side of parliamentary political divided are negotiated and passed with ease,in both houses.
However, the handshake did not take away the role of the opposition of providing checks and balances, but only created grounds for conducive and successful promotion of the government's big four initiatives.
Other issues that the opposition legislators read from the same page as lawmakers from the ruling coalition are those related to national unity and the fight against corruption.