Kenya senators’ fury over globetrotting Speaker Ekwee Ethuro and his deputy Kembi Gitura

Senators are furious over the frequent absence of Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro, his deputy Kembi Gitura and most members of his panel, during important House business.

The Speaker is said to have gone to Paris, France for the high profile climate change conference where he accompanied President Uhuru Kenyatta in the Kenyan delegation.

Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro (centre) and his deputy Kembi Gitura (left). Senators are furious over their frequent absence during important House business. (PHOTO: COURTESY)

It was not clear if Mr Ethuro also flew to South Africa with the President, but back home MPs are demanding an explanation why the two are missing in action, yet there are crucial pending issues in Parliament. Senator Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo/Marakwet) and a member of the Speaker’s panel, could not explain the whereabouts of the Speaker and his team.

Temporary speaker Wilfred Machage (Migori) found himself on the receiving end when members demanded to know the whereabouts of the Speaker, his deputy and members of his panel.

Before the Paris trip, the Speaker had travelled to Luanda in Angola, then proceeded to Ghana for the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meeting where he went with his National Assembly counterpart Justin Muturi.

In September, he was also in Geneva, Switzerland for the Inter-parliamentary Union meeting. At the time, Muturi who is expected to fly out of the country today, was in Vienna, Austria for another meeting.

“Is it in order for all the speakers to be out of the country? What takes precedence, is it the House Business or foreign travels?” asked nominated Senator Godliver Omondi.

Murkomen was also not spared the wrath of the women legislators, who complained of being sidelined in conducting House business.

She also took issue with the omission of women in taking up House roles, especially as a temporary speaker.

Omondi raised the issue earlier in the week when she asked temporary speaker Machage why female senators were not getting opportunities to chair parliamentary sessions.

Machage has admitted that Senator Omondi’s concern were legitimate but they can only be effectively responded by the powers that be.

To cover for the Speaker’s absence, this week Murkomen, moved a procedural motion to have Senator Stephen Sang (Nandi) a non-member of the committee, chair the Thursday morning special session.

But there was a heated debate as Senators bombarded the temporary speaker with a barrage of points of orders, with each speaker questioning the rationale of choosing Sang without prior consultation of the leadership of both sides of the House.

Senate Minority Leader Senator Moses Wetang'ula (Bungoma) also weighed in on the matter, faulting the procedure used to pick Sang to chair the sitting without consultations.

Wetangula clarified that he had no issue with the Nandi senator’s competence to carry out the task but the procedure was questionable.

“There is a precedent in this House, we should be consistent. In future we should seek prior consent,” said Wetangula.

Majority Leader in the senate Kithure Kindiki (Tharaka/Nithi) agreed that he was also not consulted on the matter.

“I can confirm to the House that I have not been consulted on this matter but I have received an explanation from Murkomen, that this was a decision by members of the speaker’s panel,” stated Prof Kindiki.

But contacted, Ethuro defended his trip to France, adding that he was a panelist. "I represented the President at the second African meeting on climate change held in Kenya, where we agreed on a number of resolutions. I am presenting the resolutions as a panelist at the global climate summit," he said on phone from France.

Muturi also defended his trips, saying he only goes for state functions, international organisation meetings, where Kenyan Parliament is a member. He however affirmed that his foreign trips are usually well coordinated and at no point, would you find him away together with his deputy.

"My trips are strictly official functions, state visits and international events such as CPA, IPU, EU and other meeting. Also in my capacity as Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) chairman, sometimes I represent Parliament in international functions," he added.

"I sometimes turn down some invites and some I delegate. But in the event there is serious business before the House like during the budget making process, I usually do not leave the country," he said.