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| Kenyan Parliament |
The senators also want two new powerful oversight committees created in addition to the seven departmental and sessional committees already in place.
Further, they want statutes that require Bills originating in the Senate to be forwarded to the National Assembly for concurrence before they can be enacted into law repealed.
The senators have expressed concerns over what they see as structural weaknesses in laws governing their operations which they say were strategically designed to undermine their functions.
Last week, the Senate set up a committee to initiate amendments to Parliamentary Standing Orders and work on modalities of creating new legislation to give them more clout.
Members of the committee, to be chaired by Senate Speaker Ekwe Ethuro are Moses Wetangula (Bungoma), Charles Keter (Kericho), Amos Wako (Busia), Billow Kerrow (Mandera) and James Orengo (Siaya).
Meru Senator Kiraitu Murungi told Sunday Nation there is a growing concern over how the Senate would operate under the current laws and statutes.
“We have initiated a campaign to enhance the status of the Senate. We have proposed amendments to various laws and Standing Orders already identified as obstructing the fundamental functions of the House.”
Mr Murungi said there is an attempt within Parliament to make the Senate look junior, noting that this could hinder the process of operationalising devolution to which the body is key.
According to the Meru senator, although they represent bigger vote blocs, with some covering between 12 to 17 constituencies, their powers had been whittled down by legislation passed by MPs in the 10th Parliament.
He argued that the Senate should be an authority whose decision should not be subordinate to any other parliamentary body. But as things stand, the National Assembly dominates parliamentary responsibilities.
The National Assembly Speaker is also the chairman of the Parliamentary Service Commission, elevating his position over that of his counterpart in the Senate on matters of protocol.
Article 146(1)(b) of the Constitution says if the office of the Deputy President is vacant or the Deputy President is unable to assume the office of President, the Speaker of the National Assembly shall act as the President.
Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale said the Senate’s position where it plays second fiddle to the National Assembly was fixed by members of the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Review in Naivasha before the referendum.
“The Senate is supposed to check the excesses of the Lower House, but as it is, the Lower House is superior,” he said.
Mr Keter, who is also the government’s deputy Chief Whip, said senators would create two oversight committees — the Public Accounts Committee and the Public InvestmentCommittee in order to play their rightful oversight role.
To further facilitate their work, senators have also proposed that adequate staff, including researchers, be hired to help them. The Parliamentary Service Commission had initially allocated all 67 senators offices at Continental House, but they have since been asked to relocate to the Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) to create room for MPs.
“We have acquired more space at KICC, and senators who had been previously allocated space at Continental House will be moving there next week,” said National Assembly Clerk Justin Bundi.
- Sunday Nation
