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– Members of the National Assembly are on the receiving end of a backlash from senators after a parliamentary committee proposed that senators be barred from running for governorship posts
– The Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) believes that senators wont exercise their oversight role effectively if they have interest in the gubernatorial seats
– Senators have, however, dismissed the proposal saying some MPs are working in cahoots with governors while others are ignorant
Senators are raging with anger after a parliamentary committee proposed that they be barred from running for gubernatorial seats in the coming general election.
The Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) had made a recommendation that: “The committee holds the view that there is need to bar senators from participating in gubernatorial elections in the term following that which they would be serving as senators.”
Responding to the report and its recommendations, senators angrily said the committee was too ignorant when drafting the report, and said it was maliciously drafted to bar senators from running for the post.
It can be remembered that a number of senators have declared interest in the gubernatorial seat.
Speaking of the proposal, Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar termed it an ill-motivated intention by MPs who could be working with governors to kill their dream.
“This is a mere political statement that is not likely to realise constitutional amendment. An amendment will either be through a referendum or must secure two-thirds support from both Houses of Parliament. It was made out of ignorance,” Omar said as quoted by Standard.
Omar wants to dethrone Governor Hassan Joho.
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His Kisumu counterpart Anyang Nyong’o also laughed off the proposal saying MPs are wasting their time.
He argued that by the time they go to the polls parliament and the senate shall have been dissolved, meaning they will be vying as ordinary citizens.
“Someone should inform the MPs to stop wasting time. Parliament will be dissolved before people present their papers to the IEBC for various elective positions. So at this time we will not be holding senatorial positions to interfere with the purported oversight role,” Nyong’o said as quoted by the paper.
MPs believe that by expressing their desire to dethrone governors, the senators will not probably deliver on their oversight role where they keep the governors on toes.
It is suspected that their desire to become governors may lead to bad blood between them.
Among the senators who have expressed their interest in the gubernatorial seats include Anyang Nyong’o (Kisumu), Hassan Omar (Mombasa), Chris Obure (Kisii) and Boni Khalwale (Kakamega).
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