Kenya's Senate postpones sittings to attend Africa Climate Summit in Nairobi
The Senate building in Nairobi on May 24, 2020.
Senators will not resume normal business on Tuesday as scheduled, after extending their recess by two weeks to attend the inaugural Africa Climate Summit.
The Senate went on a three-week recess last month and was scheduled to resume on September 5, 2023, but senators changed their calendar during a special sitting last week.
The latest development will see the chamber resume regular sessions on September 19, 2023.
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot, while moving the motion to change the Senate calendar, said senators needed time to attend a conference in Nairobi as well as other duties related to their position.
He said when the House adjourned for recess in mid-August, they were supposed to go on a three-week recess, but the schedule was disrupted by the week-long devolution conference.
A further week was spent in special sittings to pass a motion to establish the National Dialogue Team and to pass the Climate Change (Amendment) Bill, 2023.
After that, the senators are also expected to attend the ongoing climate conference, where they will have sessions to make presentations.
"In a nutshell, that is why we have asked for our recess to be extended by another two weeks so that we can attend to all these duties," said Mr Cheruiyot.
The Kericho senator defended the move, saying it was not an abdication of duty but to create time to retreat to the village to be with their constituents for at least a week.
"One of the most difficult things to do as a politician in this country is to get re-elected as a senator. This is because when you go to a public forum, an MCA will point to the Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) classroom he or she has built, the MP will point to the administrative block, the governor will say he or she has done the road, the president has promised a big dam and the county women representatives will have bursary cheques," said the Majority Leader.
"Then they will say, "Let's welcome our 'big man' we elected to go to Nairobi called the Senator. What have you got for us?" It is only through our presence in the village, sometimes solving small problems when we have time during recess, that we are able to at least have relevance in this country," he added.
Migori Senator Eddy Oketch, who seconded the motion, said their presence at the climate summit was another workload that was just as heavy as normal working days.
"I know that it is a very well-coordinated event both formally and informally that other senators and MPs will be involved in. So it will be so difficult to come from that heavy summit and come here and still have the same level of energy and rigour to contribute in the House," Oketch said.
Speaker Amason Kingi said the role of parliamentarians in the summit, which will be held at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre from September 4 to 6, 2023, cannot be overemphasised.
He said parliamentarians play critical roles in legislation, oversight, and budget formulation and approval, which are essential for policy development and implementation and ensure government accountability and effectiveness.
In addition, parliaments connect vital knowledge with constituents, facilitating needs-based and effective climate action.
"At the international level, legislators can work with their counterparts to build synergies and coordinated approaches at the negotiation stage for common regional interests," Mr Kingi said.
As a result, he said, a parliamentary dialogue on September 4 and an all-day dialogue on September 6 at the National Assembly Chamber have been scheduled in the programme.
"The two dialogues will bring together parliamentarians from across Africa to deliberate on the role of legislatures in achieving the outcomes of the Summit. The dialogue will culminate in a communiqué that will serve as a landmark document outlining the commitments of African legislatures to actionable climate governance," he said.
