CIC chair Charles Nyachae under attack as House defends controversial County Government Bill, 2013

By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU

KENYA: The Senate Tuesday came out fighting to defend the controversial Bill that seeks to make senators the bosses of county development teams.

Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki, Deputy Minority Leader Abdirahman Hassan and Majority Chief Whip Beatrice Elachi said the Senate “will not be intimidated” to drop the on-going legislation of the County Government (Amendment) Bill, 2013.

The trio lashed out at the chairman of the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution, Mr Charles Nyachae, over his stand that the Bill as crafted was unconstitutional. They said Nyachae ought to have tabled his concerns about the contents of the Bill with the Senate Committee on Legal Affairs.

They said the proposed County Development Board was key to ensure there’s no duplication in project implementation and funding.

“As we speak, there’s no forum for coordination in the counties,” said Kindiki.

Altering the bill

Kindiki said the issue of who will chair the board was “trivial”. He added that if there are “reasonable, legally sound and well-intentioned” proposals on how to alter the Bill, then the Senate will be glad to participate.

Senator Elachi noted that governors also needed someone to watch over what they do.

Abdirahman insisted that the CIC chairman had “jumped the gun” by denouncing the Bill, because, the main target for the Bill was to ensure that all projects in the counties are discussed in a single forum.

In an advisory released just as soon as the controversial Bill was published, Nyachae, said the County Governments (Amendment) Bill, 2013 was unconstitutional, because, the senate, through the Bill seeks to “usurp the constitutional responsibilities” of the county assemblies.