National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula is in the next two weeks expected to give directions over the sibling rivalry between the Senate and the National Assembly.

The Speaker’s ruling will come after Marakwet East MP Kangogo Bowen, who chairs the Blue Economy, Water and Irrigation Committee, protested to the National Assembly over the Senate’s move to take over their functions.

Bowen told the House that last Tuesday his committee held a meeting with the Ministry of Water to consider the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) and on the same day the Senate wrote to the ministry asking them to appear before its committee on the same issue.

“We don’t see where the Senators come in in the budget-making process. I don’t know when the Senate committees are done with the ministry, where do they take their report on the BPS?” the MP wondered while suggesting a joint-sitting of the committees of the two Houses.

Jurisdiction Leader of Majority Kimani Ichung’wah warned government officers whose agencies are overseen by the National Assembly committees against giving preferences to the Senate invitation.

He clarified that the Senate is only involved in the budget-making process through the consideration of the Division of Revenue Bill (DoRB) and the Medium-Term Debt Management Strategy (MTDMS). Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo termed the issues raised by Bowen as those touching on the jurisdiction of the House and ought to be dealt with.

“If you examine keenly, you cannot see the nexus between that committee and the work of the counties and the jurisdiction of the Senate,” Otiende, a Senior Counsel, said while urging Wetang’ula to issue an authoritative communication founded on the mandates of the two Houses.

Already some MPs have raised issues with the leadership of some of the committees including that of Transport and Infrastructure, Administration and Internal Affairs, Environment, Health, Lands, Energy, and Agriculture among others, but whose attempts to cause change have been thwarted by House leadership. The complaints by members come at a time when there is a deadlock regarding the reconstitution of various House committees.