Senators, MCAs hold own devolution forum in Mombasa
CAF Secretary-General Albert Kochei. He said the devolution conference bringing together MCAs and senators will provide an opportunity for them to freely interact and find ways on how to improve county laws. The meeting starts on May 23, 2016 at the Flamingo Beach Resort, Mombasa. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- This is the first meeting bringing together members of the Senate and all 47 county assemblies.
- It is organised by the Senate Committee on Devolved Government and the County Assemblies Forum (CAF).
- Prof Lesan said they were not holding a counter conference but a meeting focusing mostly on legislation.
- Most senators and MCAs skipped the governors’ conference held in Meru in April claiming that it favoured the county bosses.
Senators and MCAs meet this week for their own devolution conference after they were side-lined in the one organised by governors.
Denying that they are reciprocating playing a peripheral role in the April meeting, they said they were convening to do a proper analysis of devolution implementation.
The meeting begins Monday and ends on Saturday at Flamingo Beach Resort, Mombasa.
President Uhuru Kenyatta did not open the governors’ conference in Meru that was skipped by the legislators as had been expected.
This is the first meeting bringing together members of the Senate and all 47 county assemblies.
It is organised by the Senate Committee on Devolved Government and the County Assemblies Forum (CAF).
The committee’s chairman, Prof Wilfred Lesan, Sunday said the meeting will find solutions to MCAs’ challenges in drafting laws.
“It brings together senators and members of the county assemblies who deal with pieces of legislation. We will ventilate on areas around legislation, what we have done and what we have not done,” said Prof Lesan.
NOT A COUNTER CONFERENCE
However, Prof Lesan said they were not holding a counter conference but a meeting focusing mostly on legislation.
“This is not to counter the governors’ conference. The conference was biased in giving successes that had been made by the counties and there was no mention on the areas we have not succeeded like in legislation,” he added.
He said key issues affecting senators and MCAs had not been well deliberated upon during the conference but expected this week’s forum to give them an opportunity to look deeply into them.
“We know of specific challenges especially in legislation which we will seek to expound and try to find solutions to,” said Prof Lesan.
CAF Secretary-General Albert Kochei said it will provide an opportunity for MCAs to freely interact with senators and find ways on how to improve county laws.
“This is a great opportunity for the legislators to have a national conversation on issues to do with legislation, oversight and representation in the Senate and county assemblies.
“It will not be a seminar but a conversation to be conducted through various plenums,” Mr Kochei told the Nation by phone Sunday.
Most senators and MCAs skipped the governors’ conference held in Meru in April claiming that it favoured the county bosses.
