Kenya: Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi has clarified that ten Bills introduced before the House all fall within the jurisdiction of the national Government.
National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi
He said the Bills do not require the input of the Senate because they are not touching on matters of county governments. Muturi said no question arises under Article 110 (3) of the Constitution that would warrant a joint resolution of the Speaker of the National Assemblyand his Senate counterpart Ekwe Ethuro on if the Billsconcern the counties.
“The Constitution only contemplates a joint resolution of the two Speakers only when a question arises as to whether it is a Bill concerning the counties and if it is, whether it is a special or ordinary Bill,” he explained. Ethuro recently said the Senate would register its discontent over the Division of Revenue Act, which was assented to without consideration of the input of the Senate.
He accused the National Assembly Speaker of undermining the Constitution. Yesterday, Muturi said a Bill concerning county governments is one affecting the functions and powers of county governments, one relating to election of members of the county assembly or one affecting finances of county governments.
He however, noted that there are those functions that are exclusively vested in county governments to the exclusion of the national Government.
He went further and noted that there are those functions that are vested both in the county and national government. He said they include disaster management, agriculture and health policies.
By ALLAN KISIA, The Standard
