Members of Parliament (MPs) representing Kenya in the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) want to be incorporated into the Parliamentary Service Commission to have their welfare catered for.

Through their chairman Kanini Kega, the MPs are seeking intervention from the National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula’s who is the chairman of the PSC in the matter.

The EALA MPs requested to have an office in Nairobi with a budget, car mortgage and transport allowance among other issues.

Interestingly the MPs enjoy similar services from the East African Assembly, including car grants and transport allowance while in the country and the headquarters in Arusha.

Wetangula who met the lawmakers in his office yesterday committed to ensure that a proper constitutional amendment is done in order to have them incorporated in the PSC.

The Speaker said that the move which has been long overdue will ensure that the welfare of the nine members representing Kenya in the regional Parliament is well taken care of.

Constitutional changes

Speaking while playing host to seven out of the nine legislators, promised to engage the Attorney General, Justin Muturi on how to go about the constitutional changes to have the members being part of the Kenyan parliamentary service as it is for members from neighboring Uganda country.

Present in the meeting were MPs Zipporah  Kering, Kalonzo Musyoka Kennedy, Iman Falhada Deko, Shahbal Said Suleiman and Mwangi Godfrey Maina.

Once again, EALA legislator Winnie Odinga who is a member of the assembly failed to show up at the meeting and no explanation was given.

Last month Winnie who is a daughter of opposition leader Raila Odinga failed to join her colleagues to State House visit where they had a meeting with President William Ruto.

Wetangu’la noted that for the MPs to be part of PSC, far reaching constitutional changes will have to be made and have structural adjustments to the service before the matter is conclusively addressed.

Making changes

“Not all the requests will be addressed in the changes if they are to be done, making such changes in the law is a process,” Wetangula said.

“We have some administrative things that I can be able to do to you by exercising my discretion and have you get offices once members move in the newly built offices where you can conduct your issues privately, “he said.

He promised to have a meeting  the cabinet Secretary Minister of East Africa, Rebecca Miano to ensure that the EALA MPs have a budget that will aptly assist them in delivering their mandate.

He undertook to assist the MPs have access to the member’s gym facility among other services.

“In the event that you will be able to be under the PSC, I would like you craft your wish list and present it to Ministry of East Africa for budgetary allocation so that we may have some of this issues you want taken care of and I will help to ensure that the budget is passed,” Wetangula told the lawmakers. He added, “I wish in the near future we will have EALA members being elected by Members of the East African Community.”