Senate has presented its recommendations to the Building Bridges Initiative(BBI) task force as public hearings come to end today.
The senators have expressed their wish to be allocated more functions. They want more say in county revenue allocation, the appointment of public officers and most importantly inclusion in the budget-making process.
Elgeyo-Marakwet Murkomen Kipchumba has stated that chapter 12 of the constitution should be amended so that the role of the senate can be entrenched for the senate to be fully involved in the budget-making.
Makueni Senator, Mutula Kilonzo Junior also expressed that the senate should have an audit office.
“On the question of audit, Auditor general sends his report to the senate and county assemblies simultaneously and expects a report within six months. We have thought that you distinguish the two issues so that they do the primary oversight and we do what would be over ranking oversight of the audits. We have thought just like other jurisdictions in the world including America, that the senate should have what we call a senate audit office where if something happens today we do not have to wait for the auditor general at the end of the financial year to give us the report. We hate the responsibilities of being undertakers of devolution it makes us feel weak”, said Mutula
Elgeyo-Marakwet Sen. @kipmurkomen: Chapter 12 of the Constitution should be amended so that the role of the Senate can be entrenched for the Senate to be fully involved in the budget making process.#K24DailyBrief pic.twitter.com/7vtVIf4hUN
— K24 TV (@K24Tv) March 10, 2020
The Senate also wants the removal of a governor included in the constitution and require two-thirds support by the House.
The BBI report was unveiled on November 27, 2019, with the hope it will herald a new Kenya that is free of divisive political hostilities.
Its biggest highlight is the proposal on the structure of the Executive. It has recommended that the president and prime minister share power in a new political dispensation.