National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi raised the alarm over growing public apathy in dealing with Parliament prior to approval of laws and President Uhuru Kenyatta's nominee to the Cabinet docket of Water, Eugene Wamalwa.
Addressing editors at Nairobi's Intercontinental Hotel yesterday, Mr Muturi said people had shunned the House and even as he led the vetting of Wamalwa, there had been no public memo in support or opposition of his suitability.
"The public has not submitted any memorandum either in support of or against the candidate," said the Speaker.
The quest for public participation in law-making has been elusive because there's no structured manner for ensuring it. Parliament has been placing advertisements in newspapers calling for public views - sometimes they get responses and other times they don't.
LOSE CONFIDENCE
"When we get no response, we begin to ask whether the public understands what is required of them under public participation... It may well be the case that the public is losing confidence in their MPs. Also, the public could have resigned to the fact that the Houses are dominated by the ruling Jubilee coalition and therefore whatever they do, the tyranny of numbers ensures the President's wishes go through," said Muturi.
The Speaker said the media was key in ensuring the public participates in legislation. He warned committee chairpersons not to lock out journalists and the public from their meetings.
"Article 118 is clear on transparency and public participation. For us, it is the clearest way to engage the public and we as Parliament cannot engage the public without the media," said Muturi.
He added that the Constitution was also very clear that any decision to go into secret proceedings must be based on exceptional circumstances and reasons given should be justifiable in a democratic society.
He said the delay in enacting the Freedom of Information Bill was an impediment in the access of official public information. He added that media freedom was enshrined in the Constitution and vowed that draconian laws curtailing it would not be tolerated.
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