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Limuru MP wants the Senate to be disbanded

Monday, August 17th, 2020 21:02 | By
Limuru MP Peter Mwathi

Limuru Member of Parliament(MP) Peter Mwathi has termed Senate as an impediment to devolution and proposed its disbandment through a referendum.

He said failure by the Senate to resolve the third revenue sharing formula for the eighth time in a row was a clear indication that it is 'insensitive, ineffective, rudderless, and worthless' and should be disbanded.

Mwathi who spoke to People Daily on phone said he would push for the inclusion of the disbandment of the Senate to be included in the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) for it to be ratified during the probable referendum.

He said that the roles played by the Senate should be handed over to the National Assembly which he noted is always ready and committed to expediting issues of national importance.

"Senate has disappointed Kenyans for failing to resolve the revenue allocation impasses amicably. What we have witnessed is division along tribal lines among senators and unnecessary politics," he said.


He added: "We as parliamentarians have more often than not beseeches senators to discuss the revenue distribution formula soberly devoid of partisan politics and unnecessary personal vendetta among them to no avail".

He said the colossal amount of money allocated to the Senate was going to waste because it had failed to execute it's constitutional mandate as it should be.

"Doing away with it will actually save the country a lot of money which is normally allocated to the senate to do what parliament can do better," he said.

Mwathi observed that the recent change of guard at the senate had seemingly created a political wedge among members a thing he said has since impacted negatively on debating the very crucial revenue disturbing criterion.

He said that the one man- one vote- one shilling parameter should inform the senators decisions when debating and voting on the issue adding that the formula is anchored on the long term future of  devolution.

"The formula will ensure equity and fairness because money will be distributed proportionally with the population of respective regions and this will be a major breakthrough in realizing actual devolution," he told the media at the Kiambu Covid-19 center in Tigoni, Limuru. 

A section of senators and MPs are opposed to the formula which will see revenue distributed according to the number of people living in respective regions saying that the move will erode the gains of devolution in marginalized areas.

Efforts by the senate leadership to resolve the matter has shot blanks for nine times with the tenth attempt being slated for Tuesday next week.

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