Senate Forced to Make Emergency Changes

Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka on Thursday morning received a notice that necessitated emergency changes to the agenda for a sitting scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

Murang'a Senator Irungu Kang'ata filed an emergency notice seeking the adjournment of a motion set forth by the National Super Alliance (NASA) legislators to the counties.

Mr Kang'ata is seeking to bring up a debate in the Senate that will eventually declare it illegal for county assemblies to pass motions that denounce the sitting President.

"What I am seeking is to have a general discussion that will establish the consequences county assemblies can face for tabling motions that go beyond their constitutional mandate.

"Under the constitution, a county assembly can be dissolved and as an example, take the Catalonia incident in Spain, the national government can actually choose to disown the county," Kang'ata told Kenyans.co.ke

The Opposition coalition drafted a motion to the counties asking ward representatives to legally establish a People's Assembly as well as denounce Uhuru Kenyatta as President-elect for the Republic of Kenya.

The motion further stipulated that the August 8 and the October 26 elections were not to be accepted as valid presidential elections and as such, in passing the motion, the county assemblies were subsequently calling for a fresh poll on February 18.

Read More: 7 Things NASA MPs Have Been Ordered to Do in Parliament

Siaya which is predominantly an Opposition stronghold became the first county to pass the Bill after it was tabled in the Assembly on Wednesday.

The MCAs reiterated that through the action, they asserted their stand that President Kenyatta is not their Head of State.

When asked what action would be taken against the Siaya Assembly, Mr Kang'ata told Kenyans.co.ke that should his motion be deliberated and agreed upon by the Senate, then the punitive measures passed would take effect. 

[caption caption="File image of Speaker Ken Lusaka walking out of the Senate chambers"][/caption]

Here is a copy of the Senator's notice.

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