Citizen TV News anchor Yvonne Okwara on Thursday, April 9, 2020, posed a question to members of the public on the ability legislators in the country to execute their mandate amid the Covid-19 pandemic, and the national directive to social distance.
Kenyans.co.ke on April 10, engaged members of the public on Okwara's question, which elicited mixed reactions.
"Folks if our MPs are only useful when they can meet physically do we really need such type of MPs in the 21st Century?" Okwara posed.
The renowned anchor had based her question on the argument that many legislators, especially within the Jubilee government, had risen to power on a youth platform, touting themselves as the party of youth, digital and innovative, while they castigated the opposition as analogue.
"Where is the evidence of that now? Why should such important decisions be grounded simply because parliament can't have a physical meeting, Where is the leadership of both houses?" she posed, noting that parliament had cancelled a sitting slotted for April 8, 2020, for fear of Covid-19.
"What if this crisis persists through June for example, would we not have a budget?" She added, urging that legislators look up to other nations that have devised methods to run important state matters regardless of the pandemic, and better yet, without being in the same space.
Kenyans in response to her question aired different views, all of them with somebody to blame.
A majority of Kenyans argued that MPs were not worthy of the office, with regard to how they had handled the pandemic, but blamed themselves for elevating them to office in the first place.
"Read the Parliamentary Standing Orders (Parliamentary Standard Operating Procedures). The answer is found there. It is hypocritical for us to show a lot of hatred for our MPs yet we are the same people who spend sleepless nights, crisscrossing villages and towns campaigning for them. We even risk our lives on polling day protecting their votes," Wanjohi Sam argued.
"You all will be saying you don't need them and yet you will be re-electing them, I even wonder how their rallies get crowded," Zack Owen critiqued.
A section of Kenyans argued that the legislators had failed Kenyans, demonstrating that they had much bigger concerns than the well being of the nation. They argued that the country had the funds to acquire the right equipment for teleconferencing and carrying out with legislation, but continued to act as the world had come to a halt.
"Even nowadays in schools, we have E-learning. We are living in a modern changing environment but they have remained stagnant," Anyika Cetrick argued.
"In advanced technology, we have audio-video conversation where they can meet online and pass their bills. And this can happen through video conference," George Majani added.
While a majority blamed themselves and the lawmakers, a section pointed their fingers at the so-called "system" arguing that, while MPs might be elected with goodwill, and bear good intentions, the "system" had a way of changing their priorities.
"Blame the "SYSTEM". Even you Yvonne Okwara if elected today you'll follow the very laid out system," Alexander Kiprop argued.
"Don't blame the MPs but, the 'system'...to make matters worse, they are in their hundreds, with some even pushed to parliament through nominations, political rewards, nepotism, tribalism and drawing salaries for nothing," Abbas Njuguna argued.
The MPs were called out for holding back during the pandemic, with arguments that they would be more vocal on a political platform rather than a crucial time for the country.
Okwara urged that MPs find a way to conduct their duties during this period, as Kenyans were counting on them.
"At the end of the day, the Kenyans these MPs represent will not care about house procedures, they would not care about standing orders, but they will care about who stood with them when it mattered most," Okwara stated.
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