Members of Parliament are scheduled to resume their sittings this afternoon after a month-long recess, amid high expectations from Kenyans and a full in-tray of pressing issues, some of which have been pending for almost a year.
This is happening as Kenyans are being treated to drama involving the Indian firm Adani, whose investment ventures here remain secret, leading to a one-day strike by aviation workers at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
Save for a few highlights in the media, information on Adani’s purported interest in leasing JKIA in a Sh260 billion deal, its proposal to Ketraco that could see it take over a few of its power lines and its intention to take over the running of KenGen remain hazy.
Following accusations from Generation Z that they had turned the once respected House into an appendage of the executive, MPs in the 13th Parliament have a responsibility to rise above their political party affiliations and dig deeper to unearth the secret underhand deals that the Kenya Kwanza government has signed.
Parliamentary committees must thus rise to the occasion and tell Kenyans the truth not just about the secretive Adani deal but also the new public university funding model, government’s reluctance to employ more 46,000 Junior Secondary School intern teachers, failure by NHIF to reimburse hospitals billions of shillings, and abductions of perceived government critics by the police.
Kenyans expect a robust Parliament ready to play its oversight role on the executive, a role that it has dismally failed to undertake as lawmakers scramble for attention and favours from the executive.
For over a year now, the electoral agency IEBC has been without commissioners, paralysing almost all its operations. A few constituencies and wards are unrepresented as anticipated by-elections have not taken place, with politicians haggling over the selection of commissioners. Also affected is the drawing of boundaries for electoral areas. Plus, the IEBC needs to start preparing for the 2027 General Election.
MPs need to sit down and work to redeem their dented image. They must serve the people who elected them, not the executive. They must move swiftly to address the long list of concerns raised by Kenyans and that have eroded their confidence in the government and the House.
