Speaker Ekwee Ethuro faulted for convening special sitting

Senators criticised their speaker for convening yesterday's special meeting over matters, according to them, that were not urgent or exceptional.

Speaker Ekwee Ethuro summoned the legislators for a special meeting to discuss the Electoral Laws (Amendments) Act, 2016, that was approved by the National Assembly on Thursday during an acrimonious session that saw CORD MPs refuse to vote on the matter and walk out of the chambers in protest.

The senators sought the speaker's clarification on whether the sitting had properly been constituted, pointing out that parliamentary standing orders had clear provisions on what should be done to necessitate a special sitting.

On yesterday's order paper, senators were scheduled to discuss education requirements for MPs which they had initially passed. The law then required that MPs should have a university degree, while MCAs should have a diploma. The senators were also required to discuss the Campaign Finance Act, which they amended to allow aspirants to submit their finance details two months to elections as opposed to the initial eight months.

But before debate on the matters began, Vihiga Senator George Khaniri called for the sitting to be adjourned arguing that it had been convened in bad taste.

"I am looking at our standing orders, not more than one stage of a Bill can be taken in a single sitting. But I can see here the schedule shows that there will be the first, second and third readings. We are contravening Standing Order number 127," said.

challenge deliberations

His Kisumu counterpart Anyang' Nyong'o said what the House was doing could be challenged in court as it was unprocedural.

"We have excluded the public and the media in this debate. Mr Speaker, how will you defend yourself if somebody goes to court to challenge today's deliberations? Prof Nyong'o posed.

But Mr Ethuro defended himself ,saying the Senate Legal Committee was engaging the public through representatives of the Church, Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims, Law Society of Kenya, Kenya Private Sector Alliance and civil society groups.

Siaya Senator James Orengo and his Meru counterpart Kiraitu Murungi argued that the business of the day did not warrant a special meeting. "The way these summonses were sent to us is bad...The matters before us are not urgent and exceptional. They could have waited until January or February. Let powers to summon us not be abused," Mr Kiraitu said.

Mr Orengo said: "When we come and we find police have cordoned off Parliament, it is an abuse to Parliament's Powers and Privileges Act."