Wetang’ula Appeals to Political Parties to Back Vulnerable Groups for Leadership Positions

By Shadrack Nyakoe

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula urged political parties to review their policies and ensure they create opportunities for vulnerable groups to contribute to the management and governance of the country.

Speaking during his meeting with the European Union Election Follow-up Mission, Wetang’ula advised lawmakers holding affirmative action seats to use the opportunity to profile themselves and rise to positions of influence.

“With the push for a more progressive and effective electoral body amidst the ongoing reconstitution of the polls body, IEBC, I encouraged the European Union and its partners to offer more support to the new Commission to ensure they are able to effectively carry out their duties and uphold democracy, acknowledging the fact that elections in Kenya are emotive with participants yet to acknowledge the winner and loser outcome, spiraling division in the country,” Wetang’ula stated.

The Speaker also encouraged Kenya and the EU to adopt parliamentary diplomacy, which he believes will enhance the country’s global influence and help advance an agenda aimed at improving the livelihoods of its people.

The meeting focused on reviewing progress made in strengthening democracy, particularly in electoral processes, and promoting active participation from special interest groups such as youth and women.

The European Union deployed the EU Election Follow-up Mission (EU-EFM) to Kenya from February 2 to March 2, 2025.

The EU EFM is led by Ivan Štefanec, a former Member of the European Parliament and Chief Observer of the 2022 EU Election Observation Mission to Kenya.

The main objectives of the EFM are to assess the progress made in the electoral reform process and the status of implementation of the 2022 EU EOM recommendations since the delivery of the mission’s Final Report, as well as to discuss ways to achieve further progress in this regard and election reform more broadly.