New House geared for historic sitting
Kenya’s transformed Parliament meets on Thursday for its first sitting.
The bicarmeral (two-chamber) Parliament consists of a 349-member National Assembly and a 67-member Senate. The two will operate independently.
“They will be two different Houses with totally different cultures,’’ said Mr Jeremiah Nyegenye, the new Clerk of the Senate on Wednesday.
The Senate which will sit at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre in Nairobi until the refurbishment of the Old Chambers of Parliament is completed, will be the second in the country.
Sit same hours
The first one was created by the Constitution that was drafted at the Second Lancaster Conference in February 1962.
The then Upper House, which had 41 senators representing the country’s 41 districts, lasted until 1966 when the House of Representatives and the Senate merged.
The bicameral Parliament established by the Constitution envisages two equal Houses which will sit for the same hours and same days of the week.
Although the Senate’s primary role is to serve and protect the interests of the counties and as such guarantee devolution through legislation and oversight, Mr Nyegenye says that mandate is not limited.
“The Senate is a legislature deliberating on matters affecting the country. While pronouncements are not law-like legislation, there’s a somewhat binding effect and a committee of implementation will follow up. It is a House in every respect, except that its legislative mandate is limited to devolved governments,’’ said the Clerk.
The National Assembly will represent constituencies and special interests.
