NAIROBI, KENYA: Inequitable distribution of national resources has been independent Kenya’s thorn in the flesh for decades and often fuelled political antagonism. It was in the front line of the agitation of a new constitutional order and it is no surprise that devolution became one of the hallmarks of our new Constitution.
Devolution and the creation of county governments was meant to correct the wrongs of our founding fathers who despite a clear need for fair distribution of wealth, conspired to kill the noble idea as mooted in the Lancaster Conference constitution by killing the Senate in 1966.
The centralised system of government was used to starve certain regions of development funds.
During the Constitution review, there were various arguments in favour of and against having a bicameral House. Although some felt it was too expensive to have a two-tier House, the Senate was mooted to safeguard devolution.
The current supremacy wars between the two Houses are irrelevant and some MPs have had the audacity to propose the disolution of the Senate. For being ignored in the Revenue Allocation Act as members of the National Assembly sought to show that theirs is not the lower house, Senators have moved to the Supreme Court seeking an interpretation of the law.
In all the fighting, we urge that devolution be protected at whatever cost and the Senate’s role made more clear.
