Senators have sustained their assault on National Assembly and the presidency, accusing the institutions of deliberately subverting devolution and breeding corruption that has eroded the confidence of the public in the government.
The senators criticised the National Assembly, the Executive and governors for preying on the miseries of ordinary people to consolidate power.
Consequently, the senators have put on notice those they termed as "predators" out to derail devolution and maintained they will take them head on, even if it means losing their seats.
They lashed at their colleagues in the National Assembly for colluding with the Executive to frustrate devolved units, adding that ‘leadership is not about titles and power’ but changing lives.
The senators have adopted a bipartisan strategy to claw back mandates that had inadvertently been ceded to the National Assembly, county government and other constitutional bodies. This puts it on a collision with the lower House, which has in the past, threatened to enact laws that would abolish the Senate.
READ MORE
Treasury defends high domestic borrowing amid debt warning
'Rebel' MPs Kibagendi, Caroli, Odinga moved in latest committee changes
Japan PM Takaichi under pressure over gifts to MPs
MPs order reclaim of grabbed state lodges land without delay
Last Monday during a special sitting of the Senate, members of the House vowed to join in the push for a referendum that give more money to counties, besides giving it more powers to oversight the National Assembly. Governors were also not spared the senators' wrath. They were criticised for driving big cars and using sirens in the villages at the expense of development in counties.
Majority leader Kithure Kindiki, was categorical, saying the "predators" in the system - in reference to governors, members of the lower House and the Executive - are "busy pickpocketing" money from the people's pockets.
“These predators in the system are opposed to the role of Senate as the watchdog over counties,” regretted Prof Kindiki, without mentioning names.
He warned: "Nobody or no institution can intimidate the Senate of the Republic of Kenya.
He added: ”What started as re-organisation is turning out to a process hijacked by two fundamental threats; centralised believers on centralised resource allocation and distribution, and predators."
Senator Mutula Kilonzo Junior, who represented the Minority leader Senator Moses Wetangula (Bungoma) at the two-day retreat with Transition Authority in Mombasa, stressed that devolution is here to stay.
“The enemies of devolution have regrouped. Part of the game is to cripple devolution by ensuring it flops and we are determined to ensure their mission fails even if it means losing my seat in defending this position.”
The lawmakers while taking stock of the progress of implementation of devolution, challenges and lessons learnt, reproached the Executive; MPs and governors, whom they regretted have turned out to be the biggest threat to devolution.
They called on President Uhuru Kenyatta to do away with such characters within the system who masquerade to act in the interest of his government but instead portray him as anti-devolution.
Led by Speaker Ekwee Ethuro, they vowed to defend the devolved units at all cost. “As Senate, we are influencing the lives of millions of Kenya. We will speak for devolution because a stronger devolution is a stronger Senate, a stronger presidency and country,” stressed Ethuro.
Ethuro posed! "When we want to do oversight over funds to county, we are told we cannot. How can we oversight? No State organ has the right to wish another institution away."
He took issue with National Assembly's decision to reduce Sh200 million for the Integrated Financial Management Information System (Ifmis).
Devolution committee chairman Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo/Marakwet) said; “The sooner the coalition reprimands them, the better. We owe it to the president and the people of Kenya to ensure we speak the truth.”
Senate clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye noted that devolution process is under siege and should be guarded jealously. He applauded the Senate for coming out strongly defending devolution, despite the challenges encountered.
All devolution stakeholders must actively play their role to support it," said Nyegenye.
TA chairman Kinuthia Wamwangi said: "Devolution will enhance transformative leadership and deliver a lot to Kenyans.
