Deafening with their campaign cars and fake promises but silent in Parliament where they represent constituents, a new report by a parliamentary watchdog, Mzalendo Trust has exposed some of the laziest lawmakers ever elected in the country.
The report indicated that the aggregate performance of the 12th Parliament’s 3rd Session was the lowest. The report shows that of the 116 Bills passed in the National Assembly only 24 were assented to, translating to about 21pc, the lowest in five years.
Right off the bat, Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi who is a fierce defender of Deputy President William Ruto, his Makadara counterpart George Aladwa and Nakuru Town West MP Samuel Arama did not utter a single word in Parliament in 2019. Interestingly, these three are also among the most vocal leaders outside Parliament where there is Press presence.
Just to show how lazy these people are, Sudi and Arama did not contribute anything in Parliament in 2018.
Others who went to the house of slumber include Shinyalu MP Justus Kizito, Alfred Sambu of Webuye East, John Naicca of Mumias West, Abdi Shurie of Balambala, Amina Gedow from Mandera, Walter Owino of Awendo.
James Gakuya of Embakasi North, Geoffrey King'ang'i of Mbeere South, Stanley Muthama (Lamu West), Abdi Tepo (Isiolo South), Ahmed Bashane (Tarbaj), Amin Deddy (Laikipia East), Beatrice Kones (Bomet East), Gideon Konchella (Kilgoris), James Lusweti (Kabuchai), and Makueni Woman Representative Rose Mumo.
Bahati MP Onesmus Ngunjiri, Mark Nyamitta (Uriri), Silas Tiren (Moiben) also did zilch.
Mzalendo Trust executive director Caroline Gaita said that legislative development primarily takes place in the House and “to completely abdicate this responsibility is, therefore, a dishonor to those who elected them.”
She noted that non-participation in the plenary brings disrepute to the integrity of Parliament as an institution. “It is a violation of Articles 94, 95 and 96 of the Constitution,” she added, citing the need to safeguard the independence of Parliament in the wake of the diminished role of the opposition
Besides not speaking in the plenary, also exposed are lawmakers who did not attend meetings of the committees they have been put in.
Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa was also among 10 legislators exposed in another parliamentary report for not attending any committee meetings tabled in Parliament on Thursday, July 16.
The Malindi MP is reported not to have attended any meeting by the Members Services and Facilities Committee from January to October 2019.
Others who did not attend any meetings were Makadara MP George Aladwa who is in the Departmental Committee on Lands and his Ruaraka counterpart Tom Kajwang (Ruaraka) who is in the Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC).
Alexander Kosgey (Emgwen), Christopher Nakuleu (Turkana North), Alfred Sambu (Webuye East), and Abdi Tepo (Isiolo South) also did not attend any meetings in their respective dockets.
Nominated MP David Ole Sankok now wants the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) to probe legislators who perennially fail to attend parliamentary sessions.
Sankok who was rated among the top-performing MPs by a report authored by Mzalendo Trust says it was immoral for his colleagues to abdicate their duties while enjoying perks courtesy of the electorate.