Senate will ensure deadline for laws is met, says Ekwee Ethuro

The Senate is committed to playing its part in ensuring crucial constitutional Bills were passed ahead of the August 27 deadline, Speaker Ekwee Ethuro has said.

The Senate supports the rule of law which would ensure Kenyans reaped the benefits of the Constitution of Kenya, 2010, Mr Ethuro said at a Senate Leadership Retreat with the Kenya Editors Guild at Serena Beach and Spa Resort in Mombasa on Friday,

Thought it was yet to receive any Bills from the Executive, the Senate has generated its own Bills besides processing those going to the National Assembly in time, the Speaker added.

“We give Bills emanating from the National Assembly prominence. It is our business to promote the bicameral system. More than 20 Bills go and get stuck there (the National Assembly). But we have not stopped doing our work as required,” he said.

At the same time, the Speaker warned against wars among constitutional institutions, especially the two Houses, the Judiciary and the Executive saying this would kill the gains made in the new constitutional dispensation.

“The position we have taken as the Senate is to abide by constitutional provisions. We understand out role and we stand strong to defend these provisions to the best of our knowledge,” he said.

There has been a running supremacy battle between the National Assembly and the Senate, with some legislators proposing that the latter be scrapped.

LACK OF UNDERSTANDING

Earlier, Editors Guild Chairman Linus Kaikai criticised politicians, especially MPs, who have been questioning the relevance of the Senate.

“The debate is a demonstration of Kenya’s immature democracy.

“To call the Senate an irrelevant retirement home, a Nyumba ya wazee (home of the elderly), only shows lack of a deep understanding of the role of institutions,” he said.

Mr Kaikai said seniority rows such as who can investigate corruption, approve Cabinet appointments, and impeach government officials were not helping Kenyans.

He faulted the Senate’s push to establish County Development Boards, whose legality has since been challenged in court.

Mr Ethuro said the boards were well thought of, but should the court rule against them, the Senate would abide by the decision.

Senate Deputy Speaker Kembi Gitura asked the media to defend devolution by highlighting the ills in the counties for appropriate action to be taken.