Senator Kipchumba Murkomen at a past event in his rural home. Photo/CFM-FILE.
NAIROBI, Kenya July 6 – Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen has accused officials in the State Law Office of advancing the agenda of the National Assembly to weaken the Senate’s contribution in the law-making process.
Murkomen has particularly directed his anger towards the offices of the Attorney General and the Solicitor General for failing to advise the President on the constitutionality of some of the Bills that he signs into law.
The Elgeyo Marakwet Senator made the accusations on Friday soon after President Uhuru Kenyatta signed the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, 2019 and the Insurance (Amendment) Bill of 2018.
Taking to his twitter account, Murkomen noted that the Bills were passed without the Senate’s input, claims which continue to magnify the frosty relationship between the two Houses of Parliament.
The Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill amends 11 Acts of parliament including those on Merchant Shipping, Alcohol Control, Tourism, Public Finance Management, Prevention of Terrorism and the Insolvency Act.
The amended Prevention of Terrorism Act introduces other Government Agencies to the membership of the Counter-Terrorism Center.
The agencies include the National Police Service, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Kenya Wildlife Service, the Kenya Prisons Service and the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority.
The amendment of this statute expands the responsibilities of the Counter Terrorism Center to include analysis of all information and intelligence on terrorism and counter-terrorism activities.
Murkomen’s comments comes amid escalating simmering tensions between the two Houses of Parliament on oversight roles with the National Assembly in recent days intensifying calls to have the Senate scrapped.
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale and his Minority counterpart John Mbadi are already gearing up to start the process of rendering Murkomen and Senate Minority Leader James Orengo jobless arguing that their offices are unconstitutional and that they have been drawing salaries and allowances illegally.
Duale and Mbadi have said they intend to write to the Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi who chairs the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) over the issue.
Attorney General Kihara Kariuki and Auditor General Edward Ouko will also be copied to explain the constitutionality of the Senate positions.
Duale’s antagonism with Murkomen dates back in May this year when the latter claimed that the Health Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2019 was enacted into law without the Senate’s involvement.
Already, the Senate is in court challenging the legality of close to 18 laws which they claim were passed by the National Assembly without their input.
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