The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill 2020 will be tabled before both houses of the Senate and Parliament in the next 13 days for deliberation.
Senate Speaker Mr Kenneth Lusaka said joint legal committees of the National Assembly and the Senate had begun scrutinizing the Bill on Tuesday, and will table it on March 23 in both houses for discussion.
Speaking in Mombasa on Tuesday during the Senate Leadership Retreat, Lusaka said the Bill must be introduced in the form in which the IEBC sent it to the County Assemblies.
“Both houses are holding a joint meeting after which the Bill will be subjected for a public hearing,” disclosed the Senate Speaker.
The deliberation and approval of the Bill by both houses will pave the way for the Independent Electoral and Boundary Commission (IEBC) to conduct a referendum.
Lusaka defended the handshake between President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga saying the country has achieved not only peace and stability but also tremendous development.
“The handshake made our work in the Senate and National Assembly easy as members were working in unity regardless of political affiliations,” said Lusaka.
He also said the Senate was experiencing a backlog of 19 pending bills which he attributed to the disruptions brought by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Senate Majority leader Samuel Poghisio said due to the limited time, the house might be forced to work extra hours to clear the 19 pending bills. “We will have to burn midnight oil to clear the backlog and produce the results expected by Kenyans. Senators also must protect the integrity of the house,” said Poghisio.
The senate Minority leader James Orengo expressed confidence that in the spirit of the handshake, the house will clear the backlog and achieve its target by passing all key bills before the electioneering period.
by Mohamed Hassan
