Law reform committee backs Senate leadership changes
By Joel Masibo, September 11, 2025The Senate’s Standing Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights has supported the Senate leadership changes, further warning against possible fiscal gridlock.
Last week, the committee held a stakeholder retreat in Kiambu to receive public submissions on the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2025, a proposal sponsored by Senate leadership to redefine the roles of Parliament’s two Houses and strengthen devolution.
The Kenya Law Reform Commission (KLRC), chaired by Christine A. Agimba, submitted a detailed clause-by-clause analysis, endorsing the bill’s move to entrench Senate leadership roles in the Constitution. The Commission endorsed the proposed amendment to Article 108, which formalises the offices of Majority Leader and Minority Leader in the Senate.
According to the committee’s statement released on Thursday, September 11, 2025, Agimba said the change would streamline the procedure and elevate the Senate’s institutional profile.
“The Commission supports the move to formalise the Senate’s leadership structure. This amendment standardises parliamentary protocol across both Houses, strengthens the Senate’s institutional identity, and will improve procedural clarity during joint bicameral business, which is essential for an efficient legislature,” she explained.
Senate committee convene stakeholder retreat
Elsewhere, the Senate’s Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee, chaired by Bomet Senator Hillary Sigei, convened a stakeholder retreat to gather views on the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2025.
The bill, sponsored by Senate leadership, seeks to strengthen devolution by redefining the roles of the National Assembly and the Senate.
According to the Committee’s statement released on Wednesday, September 10, 2025, a key proposal in the bill, Article 199A, will create a County Assembly Fund in each of the 47 counties. The fund would cover administrative expenses and other functions of assemblies, with allocations drawn directly from the County Revenue Fund. The County Assemblies Forum (CAF) welcomed this provision, describing it as a major step toward financial autonomy.
“We fully endorse the creation of the County Assembly Fund under Article 199A. This is a transformative step that will constitutionally guarantee the financial autonomy of county legislatures. By securing our funding, this provision empowers us to carry out our oversight and legislative mandates effectively, free from the influence of the county executive,” said CAF Chairperson Hon. Seth Kamanza.
However, CAF pushed back against another amendment seeking to expand the Senate’s oversight role under Article 96. The clause would give the Senate authority over both national revenue allocated to counties and revenue raised locally.
“We must reject the proposal to extend the Senate’s oversight to locally generated county revenue,” Kamanza said. “The oversight of funds raised within the county is the primary and constitutional duty of the County Assembly. This amendment would create a needless jurisdictional conflict.”