Bill seeks to give MPs diplomatic passports

What you need to know:

  • Diplomatic passports ensure special treatment at airports.

  • The Bill could, however, spark a fight between the Senate and the National Assembly as it has been criticised for reducing the powers of the Clerk of the Senate and making it easy for the Parliamentary Service Commission to fire him.

The incoming Members of Parliament and their spouses will be entitled to diplomatic passports if a Bill introduced in the House on Tuesday is passed.

Diplomatic passports ensure special treatment at airports.

The Bill could, however, spark a fight between the Senate and the National Assembly as it has been criticised for reducing the powers of the Clerk of the Senate and making it easy for the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) to fire him.

MPs are, however, likely to be enticed by the prospect of getting diplomatic passports, which will ease their travel by enabling them to use separate queues at Customs, avoid inspection of their luggage and more easily get visas.

The draft law provides for Speakers, MPs from both Houses, members of the PSC, Clerks of the National Assembly and the Senate and the spouses of all the categories to get the special passports.

By law, there are 28 categories of individuals and their spouses who are entitled to diplomatic passports. They consist of the heads of the three arms of government and their deputies, former presidents and vice-presidents and heads of the disciplined forces.

Others are holders of independent offices, judges of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, as well as foreign service officers.

ADEN DUALE

The passports issue is only one part of the Bill, sponsored by National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale, which was criticised by Nominated Senator Beatrice Elachi for its provisions regarding the Clerk of the Senate.

Ms Elachi said that, with some members of the PSC reported to have strained relations with the current Clerk, Mr Jeremiah Nyegenye, some of the provisions were suspicious.

She described the Bill as an attempt by the PSC at taking powers away from the secretariat in the running of Parliament and handing them to politicians in the form of the commission.

The senator questioned the timing of the proposed law, saying the Bill should have been shelved until the new crop of MPs comes in, who would then change the law as they deemed fit since it would affect them.

“Those who will be affected by this will amend the law since it will affect them for five years,” Ms Elachi said. “Let us not antagonise the institution.”