• Lusaka said Kenyans believe in the hardware more than the software.
• Senate Majority leader Kipchumba Murkomen said their roles go beyond issues touching directly on counties.
Senators have deplored the widespread misconception about their role in Parliament, which they say has caused the Senate being disrespected.
Senate Speaker Kenneth Lusaka said on Friday though the relationship between governors and senators has improved over the last few years, Kenyans still do not understand their role.
“That is where the problem is,” Lusaka said .
Speaking at the 2020 Senate Leadership Retreat at Sarova Whitesands Hotel in Mombasa, Lusaka said Kenyans believe in the hardware more than the software.
For instance, he said Kenyans want to see a huge building for a hospital to interpret it as development even when there are insufficient staff, drugs and other systems that the hospital effective.
Senators, like MCAs, suffer from this misconception because their oversight role is not appreciated by the people who instead want to see a Senator or MCA build a road, Lusaka said.
Senate Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen said their roles go beyond issues touching directly on counties.
Citing Article 94 of the Constitution, Murkomen said their role is defined as that of Parliament, which he says comprises both the National Assembly and the Senate.
He said almost all matters legislated on touch on the counties, which make it their business.
“The legislative mandate is confined to matters concerning counties,” he noted.
Echoing Murkomen, Senate Minority Leader James Orengo the Senate should be given more respect because it has quasi-judicial powers.
A section of Cabinet Secretaries have been snubbing Senate summons, arguing they are not answerable to them
However, Orengo and Murkomen said the Senate has conducted trials and has powers to summon CSs on anything as captured in Constitution Article 153.
“There is nothing in this constitution that stops us from questioning anyone and anything in any government institution,” said Murkomen.
However, Devolution CAS Abdul Bahari said though he agrees that not everything should be legislated on, the Senate can pick one major function and "run with it."
“You cannot do everything. You must have a specific thing that you do and run with it. You must be in one place at a time, not all places at all times,” he said.
The CAS said the Senate must ensure that it effectively oversights the counties to help Kenya deal with the corruption, that has been devolved to counties.
Media personality Linus Kaikai said devolution has both beautiful and ugly sides and called on Senators to check on the ugly side.
He said while there are positive stories like the first C-Section performed in Wajir county due to devolution, there are negative aspects like devolved corruption and governors trying to reconstruct the presidency at the county level.
“Senate has not scored well in the perspective of many journalists when it comes to holding counties accountable. The Senate has not done enough,” he said.
(Edited by V. Graham)