Leaders face full in-tray as Senate resumes Tuesday

The Senate returns on Tuesday for its final sitting this year with their controversial proposal to increase their pay pending and the referendum issue dividing the House.

The lawmakers return to a full in-tray because they will have to dispense with about 25 Bills that are at different stages of development before the Christmas break.

There are also more than a dozen committee reports pending which the House has to adopt before the session ends.

Among the Bills lined up for debate are the Intergovernmental Relations (Amendment) Bill, the Government Proceedings (Amendment) Bill, the County Assembly Powers and Privileges Bill, the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Bill and the Alcoholic Drinks Control (amendment) Bill.

Elgeyo-Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen said lawmakers are eager to ensure they use the sitting to strengthen devolution.

“One of the big challenges we are facing is how to deal with accountability, and we will be pursuing that because it is our role. There is a need to review devolution. We should have more pieces of legislation to ensure devolution is not threatened at all levels. We should strengthen our county assemblies to ensure they play a role in the accountability chain,” he said.

The senator said the tiff between his colleagues and the governors was still a cause for concern because it is derailing devolution.

“The sour relations between us (senators) and the governors is still an impediment. Instead of co-operation there is a lot of confrontation,” he said in a phone interview.

AVERT CRISIS

There is also a plan to fast-track the next County Allocation of Revenue Bill to avert the financial crisis the 47 counties went through before they were rescued by Treasury in August.

House Speaker Ekwee Ethuro recently suggested consultations among the various parties involved in the drafting to ensure the Bill was passed early so county accounts don’t run dry next year.

“We would like to see more consultations involving the concerned parties to ensure this Bill is brought to the House early and is passed as soon as possible,” Mr Ethuro told journalists recently.

The Bill is prepared annually and is used by the Treasury to allocate revenue to counties. The Senate must pass the Bills it before the President assents to it.  

The Alcoholic Drinks Control (amendment) Bill sponsored by Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki that was passed in the last session will be brought for the Third Reading.

Others are the Public Finance Management (amendment) and the Public Procurement and Disposal (amendment) Bill that was forwarded from the National Assembly.

The House will also go through the Intergovernmental Relations (amendment) Bill that seeks to empower deputy governors.

The Bill that has provoked the governors’ anger seeks to set up a deputy governors council similar to the Council of Governors.

The proposed law, sponsored by Mr Murkomen, also aims at promoting the deputies to be members of the Summit. Presently, the Summit comprises the President, deputy president and governors.

“The council shall provide a forum for consultation and cooperation among deputy governors,” says the Bill.

As per the proposed law, the deputies would also use the council for sharing information on the performance of the counties with “the objective of learning and promoting best practice and where necessary, initiating preventive or corrective action.”

Governors have opposed it saying it is a ploy to undermine them by enhancing the powers and roles of their deputies.