Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi has dismissed the disagreement between the National Assembly and the Senate as an unnecessary distraction.
Wandayi said the disagreement on the 18 Bills passed by the National Assembly is neither here nor there as both houses are important.
The battle between the Senate and the National Assembly escalated on Thursday after senators voted to overturn a record 18 bills passed by their counterparts without their input.
The motion brought by Majority Leader Kipchumba Murkomen (Elgeyo Marakwet) and Minority Leader James Orengo (Siaya) requires Speaker Kenneth Lusaka to file an urgent case at the High Court challenging decisions of the MPs.
Orengo and Murkomen expressed frustration that their colleagues at the National Assembly unilaterally passed bills touching on counties.
But Wandayi urged the Senate to use the dispute to push for a referendum to rectify the question of powers between the National Assembly and the Senate.
The Ugunja lawmaker at the same time asked the two speakers to rise to the occasion and stop wasting taxpayers’ time and money.
“Speakers Justin Muturi and Kenneth Lusaka should provide leadership before this gets out of hand,” Wandayi said.
Former Gem MP Jakoyo Midiwo said he supports devolution but Parliament needs an upper house, which is not in the law.
“The Senate should be talking about a referendum if they want to be superior to the National Assembly as the upper house,” Midiwo said.
He said in the Constitution the Senate is supposed to oversight counties.
He added that the unnecessary war they want to engage with the National Assembly will not solve their predicament if the law is not amended through a referendum.
“But it’s the same Senate where you see Murkomen opposing the referendum and complaining about the National assembly of not giving them the respect they deserve,” he said.
