Senators vow to suspend government business over regulations for oversight fund

Senate Majority Leader and Tharaka-Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki in Nakuru on February 8, 2015. PHOTO | CAROLINE CHEBET | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The senators said they would ignore legislations referred to them for approval from the National Assembly in protest at the move by the MPs to reject the regulations.

  • The National Assembly’s Committee on Delegated Legislation had called for annulment of the regulations crafted to manage how the money allocated to the Senate is used. The MPs said the regulations were not done in accordance with the Public Finance Management Act.

Senators have vowed to suspend government business to pile pressure on the Executive to push MPs to endorse regulations to govern a Sh1 billion oversight fund.

The senators said they would ignore legislations referred to them for approval from the National Assembly in protest at the move by the MPs to reject the regulations.

The National Assembly’s Committee on Delegated Legislation had called for annulment of the regulations crafted to manage how the money allocated to the Senate is used. The MPs said the regulations were not done in accordance with the Public Finance Management Act.

But the senators on Wednesday said by refusing to pass the regulations that could have allowed them access the fund, the MPs had demonstrated they “supported wastage in counties”.

Senate Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki called for a kamukunji to deliberate on the matter, saying the funds are critical to helping senators monitor how public funds are utilised in the devolved units.

During the meeting, the senators will also agree on whether to move to court to bar MPs from opposing “measures that are meant to protect devolution and ensure public funds are prudently spent”.

“This is a criminal act. It is subversion of the law and borders on juvenile delinquency. The Senate cannot continue to be taken as trash, to be used when it is convenient,” said Prof Kindiki.

A delegation from Poland led by Speaker of the Senate Stanislaw Karczewski watched as the senators argued about their constitutional rights.

Senators Moses Wetang’ula (Bungoma), Mutula Kilonzo Jnr (Makueni), Stephen Sang (Nandi), Henry ole Ndiema (Trans Nzoia) and Hassan Omar accused the MPs of taking instructions from the Executive to portray the Senate as inefficient so that it can be scrapped.