The bicameral Parliament in Kenya was forced to adjourn for three weeks a day after legislators resumed sittings on Tuesday, November 7.
The adjournment was called for after the opposition legislators failed to submit their names for various House committees, thus hampering House business. According to National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi, the Parliament received so many petitions from Kenyans but the House cannot handle them because of the opposition.
“My office received many petitions but my hands remain tied. The issues cannot be handled in Parliament without first being handled by the respective committees being formed, and they cannot be formed without the input of opposition members,” said Muturi as quoted in Capital FM.
The opposition NASA alliance wrote to Muturi requesting to be given until November 30 to submit the names but Muturi gave them until November 20. The opposition had already submitted names for Parliamentary committees but Muturi quashed them, especially John Mbadi’s as the Minority Leader, saying procedure had not been followed in his appointment.
The issue was the same in the Senate where NASA was yet to provide names for House Committees. Opposition leaders have been boycotting Parliament, citing issues with the Jubilee regime. Speaker Kenneth Lusaka gave the opposition until November 30 to submit the names. Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen went on record claiming NASA was yet to submit names to the bicameral House because of infighting.
“Jubilee is ready to discharge its duties. We do not want NASA’s internal fights to affect operations of the House. I request them to quickly come to an agreement,” said Murkomen. NASA has four affiliated parties; ODM, Amani Wiper Party and Ford Kenya. It remains to be seen how the positions will be divided among the four. Mbadi said the opposition alliance is in the process of drafting the names and a list will be submitted in due time.
