NAIROBI, Kenya — Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has warned that continued divisions within the opposition could give President William Ruto’s broad-based government enough parliamentary numbers to pursue constitutional amendments.
Kaluma said opposition disunity could allow Ruto’s allies to cross the two-thirds threshold of 223 MPs, which he described as a serious governance concern.
“If Ruto is able to go into this coalition broad-based government and the opposition continues with this confusion I see them have, then Ruto may have a number of MPs that is way beyond 223, which is two-thirds,” Kaluma said during an interview with local media stations on Wednesday, September 23.
Kaluma Raises Constitutional Amendment Concerns
The Homa Bay legislator said a government commanding such numbers could have significant influence over constitutional matters.
He specifically raised concerns about proposals relating to presidential term limits, saying the government could potentially use its parliamentary strength to initiate changes to the Constitution.
“And that to me, at a governance level, I say, is very dangerous, because they can do anything, including amending the Constitution to start thinking about those long-term things I hear them casually talking about, and that I fear,” he said.
Kaluma Says Strong Opposition Needed
Despite supporting Ruto’s re-election and being part of the broad-based government, Kaluma said Kenya still needed an effective opposition to provide parliamentary oversight.
“Opposition in some form is good for governance,” he said.
He urged opposition leaders to resolve their differences and determine whether they intend to mount a serious challenge in the 2027 General Election.
Kaluma also criticised what he described as private “bedroom meetings” among opposition leaders, saying political groups should instead focus on building coordinated structures and winning parliamentary seats.
MP Urges Opposition to Win Parliamentary Seats
Kaluma said opposition parties did not necessarily have to win the presidency to play an effective role in government oversight.
“If they cannot win, how can they have numbers that can undertake reasonable oversight of the government?” he asked.
Kaluma Calls for Fresh Voter Registration
In a separate part of the interview, Kaluma called for Kenya’s existing voter register to be scrapped and replaced through fresh registration.
He said the priority should be to ensure that all eligible Kenyans are registered before conducting a comprehensive verification exercise to establish a clean and credible electoral roll.
“From there, my advice is that number one, ensure all Kenyans are registered. Number two, let us clean the register,” he said.
Kaluma said he had previously advocated for an even more radical approach of collapsing the existing register and starting voter registration afresh.
Kaluma Shifts Focus to Voter Turnout
The MP also called on electoral authorities and political parties to pay greater attention to voter turnout after registration and verification.
“Once you register people and ensure the register is clean, work on turnout,” he said.
Kaluma cited Bomet County, which recorded voter turnout of about 79.9 per cent in the 2022 presidential election. Independent records based on IEBC data similarly place Bomet’s turnout at about 79.9 per cent.
The IEBC’s 2022 election records show that the national register contained 22,642,233 registered voters and included records identified as deceased voters among a wider set of exceptions requiring examination.
IEBC Rejects Concerns Over Dead Voters
Kaluma’s call for a new register comes amid renewed political debate over the integrity of Kenya’s voter roll ahead of the 2027 General Election.
The issue was amplified earlier this month after UDA Secretary-General Hassan Omar made remarks that were interpreted as suggesting that fingerprints of deceased Kenyans could potentially be used to cast votes in their names.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) subsequently rejected the possibility of deceased people being authenticated through its biometric voter-verification system.
Kaluma Links Register to 2027 Preparedness
Kaluma’s proposals come as political parties and electoral institutions begin preparations for the 2027 General Election.
The IEBC currently provides voter-registration information and 2022 voter statistics through its official platform as preparations for future electoral exercises continue.
