It was a dream come true for the 133 new Members of Parliament who took their first tour of the August House Thursday, where they will write history. But their first priority was to fight for the reinstatement of the constituency kitty and their slashed salaries.
After years of waiting, some people’s sacrifice in the form of blood, sweat, and tears paid off, as evidenced by their orientation to Parliament Thursday.
Eastleigh’s Yusuf Abdi Hassan and Ainabkoi’s Samuel Chepkonga, who had made their parliamentary debuts up to 20 years prior, were treading familiar ground as the newly elected leaders gazed in awe at the parliamentary precincts that were central to the drafting of a new Constitution and home to a plethora of unsung tales.
Members were directed to the parliamentary grounds, where seven tents had been set up, upon their arrival. They were registered, their bio-data was collected, they were given Parliamentary Identification cards, and their Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) certificates were verified.
They were all there for a two-day orientation session.
The old guards were there to hold the hands of the greenhorns who shuffled their feet trying to find their way around.
The chambers soon became teeming with energy as the new members streamed in, pushing past the sergeants-at-arms who wore warm smiles.
They took their seats and were educated on the chamber voting system after following the green and alternately red carpet that separated the two sides of the chambers.
However, for a new parliament, there were many familiar faces, including Sirisia MP John Waluke, Nairobi Women rep Esther Passaris, Nyali MP Mohammed Ali, Dagoretti South legislator John Kiarie, and Butere MP Tindi Mwale. The first day of the orientation, however, was marred by a low turnout due to the series of governors’ swearing-in ceremonies.
However, as newcomers and veterans alike set their sights on an impactful five-year term, a dark cloud from the court’s decision to overturn the Constituency Development Fund (CDF) Act 2013 hangs over their heads.
The Act, later amended to the National Government Constituency Development Fund Act (NG-DCDF) of 2015, provided each constituency with Sh100 million per year.
The fact that the Salaries and Remuneration Commission had also scrapped Sh1 billion intended for MPs’ sitting allowance added to their woes.
“Without CDF, there is no parliament. Even when compared to some county governments, the funds have transformed the majority of lives in the constituencies. We cannot be the ones deciding what goes to the ministries and then being denied funds,” said MP Waluke. “We will not allow them to scrap our allowances,” he said of the elimination of the sitting allowance. “If they insist, they should keep in mind that they still need us during the vetting of new commission members.”
Kirinyaga women’s representative Jane Njeri Maina, a first-timer in the August House, has also pledged to fight for the CDF kitty’s retention.
“The MPs require the kitty because it has empowered the majority of them, and taking it away takes away their ability to engage with those at the grassroots. If that debate comes up in Parliament, I will undoubtedly vote to keep the funds,” she said.
Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi, who is now serving his third term, promised a duel to ensure CDF’s retention.
“CDF is the one paying school for many Kenyans, doing development in schools, security, and other areas. The only reason some people want it scrapped is that it is aligned with MPs,” Wanyonyi said.
The new leaders were optimistic about carrying out their mandates smoothly, as Sabatia MP-elect Clement Sloya said.
“My expectations are to improve the lives of our people by representing them to the best of our abilities,” Sloya said.
Parliament resumes sittings in two weeks.
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