The National Assembly and Senate are headed for a possible clash over parallel investigations into a number of scandals.
Speaking on the phone yesterday, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi quoted Articles 95 and 96 of the Constitution, which spell out the functions of the two Houses.
The National Assembly joint committee on Agriculture and Trade has been looking into the contraband sugar issue. But the Senate wants to open a similar probe and draft a separate report.
Similarly, both Houses have committees investigating the Solai dam tragedy, raising concerns about wastage of public funds as members draw allowances.
A National Assembly committee has 19 members. Each member is entitled to Sh5,000 sitting allowance. The chairperson pockets Sh7,000 per sitting.
The committees also incur expenses when members go on field visits, whose costs vary depending on distance.
Muturi termed the probes by the Senate “imprudent use of State resources”.
“When you hear that they [Senate] are probing the Solai dam tragedy, it is just a waste of time because they have no authority over State organs or officers,” he said.
“The National Assembly has been given the oversight authority over State organs, not any other person.”
Both Houses had committees holding parallel investigations into the KQ and National Youth Service cases.
The investigations create the risk of conflicting reports by different parliamentary committees.
“Where will Senate take the report even if they adopt it?” Muturi said.
National Assembly minority leader John Mbadi blamed Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye for failing to control the House as far as the committees’ roles are concerned.
“I think our national government officials are not bold enough to ignore these sermons, which do not make sense. It’s a waste of time for government officials. Oversight role of the Senate is limited and restricted to that part of national revenue allocated to county governments,” the Suba South MP said.
The National Assembly Lands committee concluded investigations on Ruaraka land, where a businessman was given a partial payment of Sh1.5 billion by the government for acquisition of property occupied by two city public schools.
The Senate County Public Accounts and Investments Committee conducted field visits to the land and invited the same witnesses questioned by their National Assembly counterparts.
The Kenyatta National Hospital case was taken up by the National Assembly Health committee, but their Senate counterpart also invited similar witnesses while investigating the matter.
The National Assembly Justice and Legal Affairs committee invited IEBC chairman Wafula Chebukati and two commissioners over the crisis in the commission. The Senate Justice and Human Rights committee also sought to summon the same witnesses afterwards.
“If you have noticed, the two Houses have had conflict in terms of investigations, where huge amounts of money are being handled. We are left with lots of suspicion,” Mbadi said.
National Assembly Roads committee chairman David Pkosing said the matter is serious and the two Speakers should intervene.
Pkosing said according to the Standing Orders, once a committee begins looking into a matter, no other committee should get involved.