Who would fail to sympathise with National Assembly Speaker Francis ole Kaparo when he moans that the behaviour of some MPs is beyond his comprehension?

He had been prompted to complain when Likoni MP Suleiman Shakombo strode majestically into the chamber and eased himself comfortably onto the Kanu benches, raising a flurry of questions from the other side about his party status.

A day earlier, Mr Shakombo had personally presented himself to President Moi at Kanu headquarters, Nairobi, where he announced his defection from the Shirikisho Party, of which he is the sole parliamentary representative. About a 100 supporters escorted him to the ceremony. For some reason, they looked more downcast than exhilarated.

Give it to Mr Shakombo, though. His soul has all along been in Kanu, even as he technically holds Shirikisho's ticket. Yet, that is precisely what Mr Kaparo is lamenting: the double-dealing and sheer lack of scruples MPs display when it comes to party allegiances. It threatens to turn the National Assembly into chamber of cartoon characters.

Mr Shakombo is not alone. He joins a long list of honourable MPs who have dishonourably opted to play hide-and-seek over where they truly belong. These types are to be found in Kanu and in the Opposition in equal abundance.

The criss-crossing has been so shameless that one cannot blame Speaker Kaparo for getting thoroughly confused about who belongs where. Days before Mr Shakombo's move, Gatundu North MP Patrick Muiruri crossed to the Democratic Party. There was nothing profound about his excuse that his nominal party, the SDP, had been making decisions without consultation. Mr Muiruri, whose line of occupation is what spy novels call a private eye, would have sounded more honest to himself if he said he found Mr Mwai Kibaki more preferable than Mr James Orengo as a presidential candidate.

Ah, Mr Orengo, that darling of Opposition radicals. He is in a fairly promiscuous arrangement himself. Theoretically he is in Ford-Kenya, but he long ago dumped that vehicle and only recently muscled his way into the SDP. 

The unfortunate thing is that at the time of his entry the party had lost most of its heavyweight names, like Mrs Charity Ngilu and Prof Peter Anyang' Nyong'o. Holding the fort as secretary-general was the eccentric intellectual Apollo Njonjo, who believes that nobody is qualified to become President unless he has a college degree. Mr Orengo, who has one, was promptly made party chairman and presidential nominee.

Faded horses like Mr Kihika Kimani in Molo likewise operate in this same confusing method. Once he used to blow hot and cold in the Opposition, especially during the Molo clashes. Suddenly, he discovered the warmth of the mama na baba party, where he probably deserved to belong all along. 

Then there is the North Eastern pair of Mr Adan Keynan and Mr Elias Barre Shill, who got elected through Safina, then dumped it soon after for the bliss of Kanu, through which they have said they will seek re-election. Their swift mutation should have been foreseen. Both moved to Safina after they lost the 1997 Kanu parliamentary nominations.

From Kanu, Mr Simeon Nyachae and a tight-knit team of Kisii MPs have practically decamped to Ford-People, as is their ally Mr Kipkalia Kones in Bomet. Mr Kipruto Kirwa in Cherangany has also been calling Kanu all sorts of names. Word is that he is headed for the DP.

There are those like Mr Stephen Ndicho (Juja) who don't seem to be headed in any coherent direction. Sure he has stated the SDP is history for him, but subsequently his modus operandi is as muddled as his politics. He started flirting with the DP and lately has joined Kanu's, or more precisely Mr Uhuru Kenyatta's fan club.

The other day he spoke with a tone full of awe and achievement about how he has been visiting State House. Those who know Mr Ndicho's humble roots were not surprised by his excitement. Too bad that lots and lots of characters get invited there but never gloat over it.

Mr Ndicho is hardly alone in Central Kenya. Remember the Gema rallies a while back (they went under the name of the Central Kenya Parliamentary Group)? Scores of Central Kenya MPs from different parties announced that they would soon be coming together under the benevolent umbrella of the DP.

Unfortunately, Mr Kaparo's hands are tied when it comes to sorting out these turncoats. The law says an MP has to tender a written resignation before the Speaker can declare his seat vacant. The charlatans who keep moving from here to there don't bother to do that, obviously because they don't want to lose their seats a forgo the fat salary.

Mr Raila Odinga chides MPs dissatisfied with their parties to decamp formally, as per the rules, then be men enough to fight it out in a by-election. He did it himself after he was left with little choice when he was eclipsed by Mr Michael Wamalwa in the battle for control of Ford-Kenya. 

There could be something to be said about Mr Odinga's challenge to his wavering colleagues. Too bad very few of these political tramps are assured of straight wins if they went for by-elections. The only sure bets are Mr Nyachae in Nyaribari Chache and Mrs Charity Ngilu in Kitui Central (yes, she, too, has been looking for a place of abode, which she found in the National Party of Kenya after ditching the SDP and its Apollo Njonjo-inspired strictures about graduate qualifications).

There is also the understandable concern that were a by-election to be called every time one of these political turncoats made a move, it would burden the country with a lot of expensive voting.

Still, something needs to be done about enforcing adherence to the parties that MPs get elected through, at least until the next election is due. For one, rest assured that if the Speaker was empowered to act on the recommendations of parties regarding their errant members, this unprincipled behaviour would suddenly cease.

If one does not like one's party, one should shut up and wait until the next elections are called. Then one can make a move.