Anti-devolution forces to blame for supremacy battles

Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka says turf wars between the two Houses of Parliament are being fuelled by individuals who want to kill devolution.

Mr Lusaka said some people he did not name had endlessly provoked the Senate to a dogfight on legislative mandate and declared that he will not fall for the trap.

“It is true that where there is a bicameral Parliament, there exists a problem between the two Houses. The last Parliament had enough of that and this time we are only interested in improving this relationship,” Mr Lusaka said.
BILLS
The Speaker spoke Thursday when he addressed a plenary session of the Third Annual Legislative Conference at the Pride Inn Paradise Hotel in Mombasa.

The National Assembly has accused the Senate of encroaching on its legislative turf by originating money bills.

Speaker Justin Muturi told a retreat for Parliamentary reporters in Mombasa last week that the National Assembly has an exclusive mandate to originate all money bills and criticised the Senate for originating such bills.

DETRACTORS
The Senate has in the recent past debated and passed a horde of bills that Mr Muturi maintains are money bills.

Mr Lusaka linked the source of the conflict between the two Houses to anti-devolution forces in the National Assembly.

“Let me tell them that the Senate is going nowhere because, if it does, that is the end of devolution,” he said.