Nairobi senator Mike Sonko on the spot over House attendance

Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro who was asked to take action against members who do not attend plenary and committee sittings. PHOTO: FILE

NAIROBI: Senators' plenary attendance and committee sittings has caused a stir in the Senate, with some of the legislators calling on Speaker Ekwee Ethuro to 'crack the whip'.

After a period of poor attendance by some of the lawmakers, the matter featured prominently in the House, with the Minority Leader Senator Moses Wetang’ula (Bungoma) urging the speaker to pronounce on the matter.

There was a heated debate in the House where some Senators argued that whoever wants to discuss the conduct of a colleague should bring a substantive motion and not ride on the happenings in the House.

In this case, Senator Mike Sonko (Nairobi) who was absent in the House, found himself on the receiving end when he was called a 'persistent offender'.

The matter arose in the House when Senator Lenny Kivuti (Embu), who is the chairman on the Lands committee sought Ethuro's guidance on the direction to take in regards to a questioned asked by senator Sonko.

Senator Sonko's response on the controversial Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) land compensation has been on the Order Paper but deferred many times, following his absence in the House.

"The senator who requested for the statement is not present. I seek leave to proceed and read the statement. Unless you (Ethuro) direct otherwise," said Senator Kivuti.

Ethuro directed that the senator be notified and whether he will be present or not, the statement will be read next Tuesday, without fail.

But Migori Senator Wilfred Machage, who is a member of the Speaker's panel, immediately interjected, arguing that the tradition going by the past parliaments is that if the person asking the question is not present to time of response, the matter is dropped.

"We had set a precedence to guard against a situation where members asked questions then they disappear," recalled Machage.

However, Machage's position was opposed by other senators Stephen Sang (Nandi), Wetang’ula, George Khaniri (Vihiga) and Boni Khalwale, who maintained that though the person who sought the question may be absent in the House, the information remains the property of the House.

"There was tradition set before but now the Senate has set a different one. Once the information was been tabled in the House, it is of interest to everybody. If the member is consistently not available, the statement should be read instead of being dropped," said Sang.

Senator Wetang’ula concurred adding that once a statement has been sought it becomes the property of the House, since it is of national interest and nature.

"Let's not sympathize, the senator is constantly absent. He is a persistent offender. The Nairobi senator is not always around, lets allow the statement e read so we can interrogate it," he said.
Khaniri intervened and sought Ethuro's direction on Sonko's matter, arguing that his conduct cannot be discussed without a substantive motion.

"This is imputing an improper motive on the Senator," he faulted.
Ethuro, downplayed Khaniri's concerns, saying what the senators have raised is an observation made.
"It depends on how you see it. A senator might be always absent, or present or a perpetual visitor. It can be that he/she is permanently absent or comes to the House," he noted.

Khalwale questioned the Speaker's position, seeking to confirm whether he is in agreement that Sonko is always absent and without his permission.

"The constitution is very clear on what should be done in this case," he said.
Sang, however came to Sonko's defence, insisting that he is very active in the committee sitting going by his recent spat with Governor Evans Kidero (Nairobi) at the Public Accounts and Investment committee.
"We should not suggest that Sonko is always absent," he said.

Ethuro warned the senators that they were trading on dangerous grounds, discussing colleague without a substantive motion.

"It is good practice with our tradition to read statement and allow members to ventilate. These reports are of huge and immense public interest. Let's give the senator one more chance and read the report next Tuesday," he directed.