What is the actual role of Senate of Kenya?

In 2010, Kenyans enacted a new constitution that would see a revamp of the governance systems. One of the flagship issues of the 2010 Constitution was devolution of power to the grassroots using the county governance model. Citizens would now have local control of their resources in addition to national representation at parliament.

One of the major institutional changes was the constitution of Senate. Each county elected one representative to this body, yet little was understood about the duties of this house of parliaments.  Though most Kenyans understood that senate is one of the law-making organs of government, many were left wondering what the exact role of Senate is.    

In addition to representing the people, the role of Legislature entails three other fundamental functions: enacting legislation, controlling the budget and overseeing the executive. Legislation and budget control constitute by themselves important instruments for Legislature to exercise its crucial oversight function.

Oversight is the crucial role of legislature in monitoring and reviewing the actions of the executive organs of government. Through this process the Legislature, ensure that: the executive is carrying out its mandate, monitor the implementation of its legislative policy and draw on these experiences for future law-making.