Senate sets special sitting for next week

A section of senators are pushing their Speaker to call the House to debate the controversial security law.

Though the Opposition coalition has moved to court to challenge the law, the legislators say they want to discuss it as a matter of urgency that affects counties.

Bungoma Senator Moses Wetang'ula confirmed he had engaged Speaker Ekwe Ethuro on the matter and even got the requisite signatures to have the House reconvene to deliberate on the security law. 

“I have placed a request to have a special sitting to discuss the security law and lack of concurrence between the two speakers Ethuro (Senate) and Justin Muturi (National Assembly). 

“We hold a strong position that towards this law, which also concerns counties is fatal.  It is even a constitutional fatality that the National Assembly leadership declined to ensure Article 110 (3) operates, and went ahead to pass the law,”  he said.

The senator, who is also a Coalition for Reforms and Democracy co-principal, was among the senators roughed up by fellow legislators on the day the bill was passed in a chaotic process. 

REQUISITE SIGNATURES

Wetang'ula said he had collected the requisite number of signatures required by law as per the Standing Orders in order to recall a House while in recess. 

“After consultations with the Speaker, he has agreed to reconvene the House through a special gazette notice,” he said.

Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior also concurred with Wetang'ula that the Senate needs to take a common position on the matter.

Following Wetang'ula’s request, The Standard has established the Senate will reconvene next week for a special sitting to deliberate on the law.

The office of the Speaker has formally received Wetangula’s appeal, according to Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye.

“The House is expected to have a special sitting on December 30,” said Nyegenye, who did not disclose the contents of the letter to The Standard.

Ethuro affirmed he had initially received a letter from the senator requesting for a special sitting to discuss the security law. However, the matter was overtaken by events when the President signed it into law last Friday.

“The senator therefore had to draft another request for a special sitting, which he did on Tuesday. He has also over 15 signatures which is provided for in the Standing Orders of the House,” he said.

But Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki distanced himself with the planned sitting.

“I have no comment on this matter. For me, there is no politics until January. This is a time for family, to thank God for the year gone by and strategise for 2015,” he said.