By Steve Mkawale
Kenyan MPs who are among the best paid legislators in the world were at it again they were too engaged to attend to proceedings in the House.
A Parliament with 219 MPs, with three vacant seats following the deaths of John Michuki, Prof George Saitoti and Orwa Ojodeh could hardly raise 30 MPs to enable them discuss critical issues facing Kenya.
Consequently, Parliament on Wednesday morning was forced to adjourn its sitting after a record 47 minutes of business, due to lack of quorum.
Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim was forced to drop a number of questions appearing on the morning Order Paper due to either the absence of Member of Parliament or cabinet ministers.
Mr Maalim was also forced to defer five private members Bills and motions that were at various stages of debate due to the absence of members.
There were 11 questions listed on the Order Paper but only one MP was present to ask his question-Wajir South MP Mahamed Sirat-who was not even lucky to stay in the House. He was kicked out for misconduct.
Parliament has two sittings on Wednesdays with the morning session beginning at 9am till 12.30pm while the afternoon sitting commences at 2.30pm ending at 6.30pm.
The Public Benefit Organization Bill (Bill No.15 2012) sponsored by nominated MP Sofia Abdi, The National Drought Management Bill (North Horr MP Chachu Ganya), nominated MP Millie Odhiambo-Mabona’s The Ratification of Treaties Bill that was at the committee of the whole stage were among the Bills that were deferred.
A motion by Turkana Central MP Ekwee Ethuro seeking to have the Ministry of Water and Irrigation allocate 10 per cent of its budget to all constituencies in equal proportions and another 10 % to Northern Kenya and ASAL constituencies also suffered a similar fate after he failed to turn up in the House.
And so did the motion by Mathioya MP Capt. Clement Wambugu that seeks to establish Men Enterprise Fund (MEF) to increase economic opportunities for, and participation by vulnerable Kenyan men in nation building. He was also not present in the House.
According to the National Assembly Standing Order 46 “a member shall be guilty of disorderly conduct if he fails to answer questions listed on the Order Paper without the leave of the Speaker.”
Standing Orders 36 which governs the Order of Business as set down out on the Order Paper gives the Speaker discretion to decide how business should be transacted in the House, which may include deferring questions.
The Speaker may drop a question as a means of disciplining a member who asked it and is not present in the chamber when it is called out.
The member will then be forced to seek another chance to have the question re-listed but will not be given precedence over other MPs.
“Business shall be disposed of in the sequence in which it appears in the Order Paper or in such other sequence as the Speaker may, for the convenience of the House directs,” reads Standing Order 36 (2).
The Wednesday morning sitting is usually reserved for Private Members Bills as opposed to the other sittings where Parliament transacts government businesses.
During the Private Members days, MPs are allowed to introduce Private Bills which are intended to affect or benefit a particular person, association or corporate body. Only seven members were present in the House.
