MPs plot to have President Uhuru Kenyatta reject key bill

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale yesterday came up with a face-saving measure to help MPs justify their day-long emergency sitting.

Mr Duale pleaded with a House committee to approve flawed amendments so that at least the House could have bills to take to President Uhuru Kenyatta for assent today when the constitutional deadline lapses.

The grand scheme for the MPs is to sidestep the mediation process on their disagreements with the Senate and have the President reject the Bill, and send it back to the House with his prescription. If the MPs want to veto the President's memo, they will have to raise two-thirds majority (233 MPs).

The affected proposed legislation is the new Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Bill, which will guide procurement of good and services at both the national and county levels of government.

"This afternoon, it looks like we'll end up with mediation on everything. Because you're just rejecting two of the Senate amendments in the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Bill, I ask you to agree with them and then we'll ask the President to return them in a memorandum," Duale told the Finance, Planning and Trade Committee members' at a meeting at the Main Parliament Buildings.

The chairman of the committee Benjamin Langat (Ainamoi) convinced MPs Oburu Oginga (nominated), Sammy Mwaita (Baringo Central), Joseph Limo (Kipkelion East), Ronald Tonui (Bomet Central), Patrick Makau (Mavoko), Lelelit Lati (Samburu West), Jimmy Angwenyi (Kitutu Chache South) and Tirus Ngahu (Kangema) to agree with the Majority Leader.

But Johnson Sakaja (nominated) warned his colleagues that they should be careful not to approve a faulty bill with the hope that the President will reject it and send a memo to the House, noting that they should reject amendments based on "reason".

The Bills that got the nod to go to Uhuru are the Fair Administrative Action Bill and the Public Procurement and Asset Disposal Bill.