Senate vows to protect devolution

By MOSES NJAGIH

Senate resumes its business today after a two-week recess amid a major standoff with the National Assembly.

Senators yesterday said they will be making their way back to their chambers “well armed” to defend their turf against forces keen to sabotage their constitutional obligations of defending county governments.

The Senate has accused the National Assembly of demeaning their constitutional mandate and standing in the way of successful devolution.

Kiharu MP, Irungu Kang’ata has even presented a Bill in the National Assembly seeking to have the Senate abolished. The battle for supremacy between members of the two houses has risen to worrying levels, with their differences over the Division of Revenue Bill emerging as the new ground for confrontation.

Senators have urged the President not to sign the contentious Bill, which was forwarded to him by the National Assembly after its members dismissed the amendments made to the proposed law by the Senate, including the enhanced funding to the county governments. Senators argue that the move by the National Assembly to reject the proposed Sh258 billion be committed to the counties by the Senate, and instead pushed for their initially set figures of Sh210 billion, was meant to frustrate devolution, a move they stand to oppose.

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Yesterday, nominated Senator Janet Ong’era said the Senate will defend the devolved units from those keen on killing county governments.

“It is evident that there are forces that want to frustrate the desires of Kenyans by ensuring that devolution is frustrated. As the house mandated to push the interests of the county governments, we will not allow this to happen,” said Ong’era.   

 She further argued that the Sh64 billion set aside for the Ministry of Devolution should be channeled to the counties.

Busia Senator Amos Wako asked the President to reject the Bill for mediation purposes, asking the two Speakers to set up a committee to harmonise the differences.

Wako, who is also the Senate chairman of the Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee warned that by assenting to the Bill, the President will have asset a bad precedent and even render the Senate impotent.