MPs challenge proposal by Senate to make it Upper House

MPs have challenged the push from the senators seeking to add more powers that will make the Senate the “Upper House”.

The debate between the two legislative houses has intensified as both have claimed superiority over the other.

The senators, who spoke during a 2-day leadership retreat at the Windsor Hotel, said they will push for the senate to be given more powers to become the upper House as making it bigger than the National Assembly.

The senators said that they are on course to revisit a constitutional bill drafted in 2015 that addressed the “Upper House” debate.

The national assembly however has said that the move is against their jurisdiction as envisaged in the Constitution.

The lawmakers from Nakuru led by Nakuru West MP Samuel Arama, said any move by the senators to allocate themselves more powers is bound to fail adding that all proposals must go through the National Assembly.

Arama faulted the senators who he said have failed in their oversight roles of their counties and questioned their capability to handle more responsibilities as an Upper house.

He also said that the senators are supposed to be positioned in their respective counties and that they should keep off the parliament and allow Members of Parliament to do their work as guided by the constitution.

Bahati MP Kimani Ngunjiri who was also in attendance said he wants the Senate to be abolished as it is unnecessary stating that it will save taxpayers billions.

He further noted that the objective to scrap the senate will reduce the overall representation of the public which will see a reduction in the public wage bill and promote prudent use of public funds, adding that Parliament is the only working and accountable institution.

Ngunjiri bashed the senators saying they could have known their role before being elected to avoid causing unnecessary supremacy battles of the two houses which is of no benefit to Kenyans.