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The Senate and the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) are embroiled in a fresh row after Sh163 million was slashed from its budget.

Senators have in protest halted their programmes including committee meetings.
Interestingly, a majority of commission members are drawn from the National Assembly.
Out of the 10 commissioners, five are members of the National Assembly, three are senators, one is an appointee of the president and one is a member of the public.

The commission’s members include Moses Wetang’ula, Speaker of the National Assembly who is the Chairman, Commission, Joyce Korir, Patrick Makau, Mishi Mboko, Faith Gitau, Sen Okongo Mogeni, Mohamed Ali, Rachel Ameso, Senator John Kinyu, Johnson Muthama and the Clerk of the Senate Jeremiah Nyegenye.

In a notice to all chairpersons of committees, Deputy Speaker Kathuri Murungi ordered them to suspend all the sittings until the matter is resolved.

Murungi is the chairman of the Senate Liaison Committee which brings together chairpersons of all the Senate committees.

According to Murungi the PSC reduced the allocation for senate committees from Sh485 million in the last financial year to Sh322 million in the current fiscal year.

“At its meeting held on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, the senate liaison committee considered the budget for the financial year 2023/24 as contained in committee paper No 23 of 2023,” Kathuri said.