Mzalendo Trust reveals best, worst performers in Parliament in 2015

Siaya, Kakamega and Homa Bay counties produced the most active MPs in Parliament in 2015, a new report indicates.

The least active lawmakers came from Lamu, Tana River and Kwale, according to the Mzalendo Trust report showing the performance of members of the Senate and the National Assembly last year.

The most active committee chairmen were also named in the report: Dr Boni Khalwale (Public Accounts Committee) in the Senate and Mr Samuel Chepkonga (Justice and Legal Affairs Committee) in the National Assembly.

Following Dr Khalwale among top-performing committee chairmen in the Senate were Mr Kipchumba Murkomen of the Devolved Governance Committee and Mr Daniel Karaba of the Education Committee.

In the National Assembly, Mr Nicholas Gumbo (Public Accounts), Mr Benjamin Langat (Finance Planning and Trade), Ms Amina Abdalla (Environment and Natural Resources) and Mr Adan Keynan (Public Investments) were among the top five performers in the ranking of committee chairmen.

According to Mzalendo Trust, the findings reveal a continuing trend in which a third of the MPs hardly contribute anything of substance to debates in Parliament.

'DISMAL' PERFORMANCE

Mzalendo Trust called the performance of MPs in the year dismissal overall. It explained that it created the parliamentary responsibility index to help illustrate which MPs are the most effective in representing their counties.

"Although the number of speech counts in plenary discussions is not indicative of the quality of input, it could allude to low capacity to exercise their parliamentarian roles," said Ms Jessica Musila, Mzalendo Trust's executive director.

She said Mzalendo went through the Hansard of both Houses to find out how many times each lawmaker spoke before compiling the report.

She said no single legislator can afford to remain silent in Parliament given the high level of poverty among Kenyans and poor services in the country.

On the other hand, Kiminini MP Chris Wamalwa, who is also the minority deputy whip, was named the most active contributor in the National Assembly, alongside Taveta's Naomi Shaban, who led among female MPs.

Suba MP John Mbadi and Gem’s Jakoyo Midiwo were ranked second and third respectively among male MPs in the National Assembly. Mr Midiwo is also the deputy minority leader in the National Assembly.

Outspoken Mbita MP Millie Odhiambo and Nyeri County Woman Representative Priscilla Nyokabi were also named among the top performers, ranking second and third respectively, among women MPs.

HANSARD REPORTS

In the Senate, Ms Fatuma Dullo (nominated) and Mr Mutula Kilonzo Jr (Makueni), were named as the leading contributors in 2015, according to the report.

Migori Senator Wilfred Machage and Trans Nzoia’s Henry Tiole Ndiema came second and third among top performing male senators for the year while nominated senators Beatrice Elachi (majority whip in the Senate) and Ms Zipporah Kittony were ranked among the top three performing female senators.

The debate report card for MPs is compiled by Mzalendo.com based on the official Hansard contributions published by Parliament after each sitting.

Corruption, devolution education, health, and special interests such as youth, women and people with disabilities were among the most debated topics in the both Houses in 2015.

Other subjects were political parties, agriculture, access to justice, security, gender, infrastructure, land, tax and revenue, culture, sports, human rights, marriage, environment, mining and business.

Nairobi Senator Mike Sonko and nominated Senator Hosea Ochwangi were named the worst performers in the Senate, even though all senators spoke in Senate plenary sessions during the year under review. Three of the most silent MPs are from Nairobi County.

REPEAT UNDERPERFORMERS

The report says 27 of the 349 members of the National Assembly did not contribute to plenary discussions at all in 2015.

It claims that of the 27 MPs, five have never given their maiden speech, meaning they have never ever spoken a word in the Assembly.

Those named in the Mzalendo report include Alex Kosgey (Emgwen), who was named in a similar report last year.

Others are Kipruto Moi (Rongai), Oscar Sudi (Kapseret), Gonzi Rai (Kinango), a long-serving coast MP, and Tirus Ngahu (Kangema).

Interestingly, some of those who have been named in this group have been previously mentioned as the least active in Parliament. Some of them have, however, come out to trash the report, dismissing it as inaccurate and arguing that they had evidence to prove it wrong.

Some of the MPs named as the most silent reacted angrily to the report, trashing and questioning its authenticity.

Mr Sonko claimed the report's authors might have been used to fight him because of projects he has initiated in the county that have endeared him to Nairobians.

He said he has a record of video clips of all his contributions in the chambers that he claimed were in the hundreds. “They need to explain how they arrived at the conclusion,” he said.

Mr Moi, on the other hand, through his personal assistant Mr John Biwott, dismissed the findings, saying he had contributed to several Bills, among them the Community Land Bill, the Natural Resources Bill and the Mining Bill.

“Maybe he contributes late in the evenings [and] hence he is not captured,” he said.

Mzalendo Trust says MPs should form county caucuses to enable them to collectively advance the interests of the counties they hail from.

The National Assembly has 290 elected MPs, 12 nominated and 47 woman representatives.

The Senate has 47 elected members, 16 women senators and 4 representing the youth.

***

The list of 27 Members of the National Assembly who did not speak in 2015, their counties and the constituencies they represent:

1. Abdullahi Jaldesa Banticha (Isiolo) - Isiolo South
2. Alexander Kimutai Kigen Kosgey Kosgey (Nandi) – Emgwen
3. Arthur Papa Odera (Busia) - Teso North
4. Bernard Alfred Wekesa Sambu (Bungoma) - Webuye East
5. David Karithi (Meru) - Tigania West
6. Gideon Mung'aro Maitha (Kilifi) - Kilifi North
7. Gideon Sitelu Konchella (Narok) – Kiligoris
8. Hezron Awiti Bollo (Mombasa) - Nyali
9. Ibrahim Ahmed Abass (Garissa) – Ijara
10. Isaac Waihenya Ndirangu (Nairobi) – Roysambu
11. James Ondicho Gesami (Nyamira) - West Mugirago
12. Joash Odhiambo Olum (Nairobi) - Langata
13. John Ogutu Omondi (Nairobi) - Embakasi East
14. Joshua Aduma Owuor (Kisumu) – Nyakach
15. Kipruto Moi (Nakuru) – Rongai
16. Lemanken Aramat (Narok) - Narok East
17. Maalim Mohamud Mohamed (Mandera) - Mandera West
18. Mathias Nyamabe Robi (Migori) - Kuria West
19. Mwalimu Masoud Mwahima (Mombasa) – Likoni
20. Oscar Kipchumba Sudi (Uasin Gishu) – Kapseret
21. Peter Njuguna Gitau (Kirinyaga) – Mwea
22. Samuel Gonzi Rai (Kwale) – Kinango
23. Shadrack Roger Mwita Manga (Migori)- Kuria East
24. Tirus Nyingi Ngahu (Murang'a) – Kangema
25. Vincent Musyoka Musau (Machakos) – Mwala
26. Eusilah Jepkosgei Ngeny (Uasin Gishu) - Women Rep
27. Jane Agnes Wanjira Machira (Laikipia) - Women Rep

***

The Stars of the National Assembly
1. Chrisantus Wamalwa Wakhungu
2. Naomi Namisi Shaban

Senate:
1. Mutula Kilonzo Jr
2. Dullo Fatuma Adan

Top Five Chairs in the National Assembly:
1. Samuel Chepkonga - Justice and Legal Affairs
2. Nicholas Gumbo – Public Accounts Committee
3. Benjamin Langat - Finance, Planning and Trade
4. Amina Abdalla - Environment and Natural Resources
5. Adan Keynan - Public Investments Committee

Top three chairmen in the Senate:
1. Bonny Khalwale - Public Accounts Committee
2. Kipchumba Murkomen- Devolved Governance
3. Daniel Karaba - Education

Counties with the most active MPs:
1. Siaya
2. Kakamega
3. Homa Bay

Counties with the least active MPs:
1.Lamu
2.Tana River
3.Kwale

Best Performing MPs the National Assembly:

Men:
1.Chrisantus Wamalwa Wakhungu

2.John Mbadi Ng'ong'o

3.Washington Jakoyo Midiwo

Women:
1.Naomi Namisi Shaban

2.Millie Odhiambo Mabona

3..Priscilla Nyokabi Kanyua

Senate:
Men:
1. Mutula Kilonzo Jr

2. Wilfred Machage

3. Henry Tiole Ndiema

Women:
1. Dullo Fatuma Adan

2. Beatrice Elachi

3. Zipporah Kittony