Civil society organisations at the Coast have called on senators to reject two key devolution bills they will be debating this week.
The Coast Civil Society Network for Human Rights said the two bills, including the Affordable Housing Bill, 2023 and the Budget Policy Statement for the fiscal year 2024/2025, will hurt Kenyans.
Speaking at the Muslims for Human Rights offices in Kizingo on Wednesday, CCSNHR chair Zedekiah Adika said the Affordable Housing Bill, 2023 hands over the role of housing to the national government contrary to the fourth schedule.
“The 4th Schedule, item 8 (d) of the county functions, under the constitution, stipulates that planning and development of houses is a county responsibility,” Adika said.
Adika said the housing bill intends to transfer public land to private hands without due regard to sustainable use and management of public land contrary to Article 60 of the constitution.
“These recommendations on housing are informed by fears of how state and private individuals have handled the Buxton and Likoni county houses, which is well within the knowledge of the Senate,” he said.
This comes barely two days after Haki Yetu Organisation petitioned the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, asking them to investigate how the Sh6 billion Buxton Point affordable housing project was implemented.
Haki Yetu executive director Peter Kiama said the Buxton land, measuring approximately 14 acres, was reserved for social housing, but was leased to Buxton Point for 99 years from January 15, 2021.
Speaking to the Star on phone, Kiama on Tuesday said the Buxton Housing project is a commercial venture where the Mombasa county government partnered with the private sector to provide commercial housing and the uptake of the houses is at commercial rates.
“In a nutshell, the ultimate beneficiaries of the public land are not the people at the lower realm of society, the so-called hustlers and mama mbogas,” Kiama said.
On Wednesday, Adika said the public should take keen interest on the conduct of MPs who consistently vote against the public and devolution, and then turn around to cry with the same public.
“MPs must know their place. Their forum is voting and debating within the Houses, not in the public forum. The network shall list senators from this region who shall have voted against these wishes,” Adika said.
Muhuri rapid response officer Francis Auma said MPs have forgotten their roles in Parliament and focus on their own stomachs at the expense of the people who voted for them.
“That is why you see some MPs voting for bills that when they become law hurt the people and then come back to pretend to be standing with the people, who find themselves overtaxed,” Auma said.
The Muhuri officer pointed an accusing finger at the Executive saying the MPs have been captured by the Executive and have little or no say in Parliament, which he said is a sad situation.
“These MPs have developed cold feet and cannot stand up for the people they represent because they fear the Executive,” Auma said.
He said although the three arms of government are supposed to be independent, the Executive arm has greatly interfered with the Legislative arm, which is where the problems stems from.
