Senator Martha Wangari’s Bill on MCAs becomes law after four tough years

A senator has finally got a Bill assented to by President Uhuru Kenyatta after four difficult years trying to convince male colleagues in both houses to pass the proposed law that sought to empower nominated MCAs.

Nominated Senator Martha Wangari on Friday became the first woman in the current Senate to have a Bill she has sponsored signed into law.

She is also only the second female member of the current Parliament to have a law by her name after Mbita MP Millie Odhiambo.

Although it has come late in the day considering that it is only about a year to the dissolution of the current Parliament, Ms Wangari will go down in the books of records.

APPENDED SIGNATURE

On Thursday, President Uhuru Kenyatta appended his signature to the County Government (Amendment) Bill sponsored by Ms Wangari.

The Bill first came to the Senate in 2013.

Since then, it has been going through various stages in both Houses and was finally taken to State House for signing by Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro on Thursday following its adoption.

The Bill sought to ensure that all the 47 County Assemblies were properly constituted before their first sitting after the next polls.

Following its enactment, it will now be compulsory for all nominated MCAs to be sworn in at the same time as their elected colleagues before any assembly holds its first sitting.

Initially, the assemblies sat even before their nominated colleagues joined them, a scenario termed discriminatory by the senator.

“When the nominated ones joined they found that election for various top offices including deputy speaker’s positions had taken place,” an elated Ms Wangari told the Nation.

She said she was happy to be the first woman to sponsor a Bill in the present Senate and have it passed by both Houses without major changes.