Senate opens new battlefront with National Assembly
By Rawlings, March 22, 2024
The supremacy wars between the two Houses of Parliament have resurfaced, with senators accusing their counterparts in the National Assembly of contempt.
Senators accused the MPs of dropping several bills emanating from the Senate without even debating them.
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho) said that it was an abuse of legislative mandate for the National Assembly to drop bills emanating from the Senate at the Second Reading.
“I find it to be contemptuous of the Senate when you negate a Bill at Second Reading and call for mediation. It is an abuse of legislative mandate,” said Cheruiyot.
The National Assembly has dropped the Natural Resources (Benefit Sharing) Bill, 2022 that sought to provide a formula for sharing of proceeds of natural resources between counties, communities and the national government.
It also rejected the Employment (Amendment) Bill, 2022, which was already passed by the Senate.
The Employment (Amendment) Bill, 2022 would allow employees to disconnect from work – entitlement not to be contacted by the employer during out of work hours as per the employer’s policy.
Co-sponsorship
The two proposed laws were dropped in the second reading stage – debating stage.
Cheruiyot protested that the Natural Resources (Benefit Sharing) Bill, 2022 has been in Parliament for more than 10 years and should have been considered in the National Assembly.
“This Bill has been in the corridors of Parliament for over 10 years. We have considered it several times. In fact, I have lost count of the number of times the Senate has sent this Bill to the National Assembly and it has been returned,” he said.
Cheruiyot called on Senate Speaker Amason Kingi to file a complaint and displeasure with his National Assembly counterpart Moses Wetang’ula on how they are treating Senate Bills.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi, however, urged the members to exploit the provision of the House rules that provides for co-sponsorship of bills with their colleagues in the National Assembly for smooth consideration of their bills.