Wednesday, February 21, 2024 – The term length
for Senators may be extended to ten years instead of five if the National
Dialogue Committee (NADCO) report by President William Ruto and Azimio Leader
Raila Odinga sees the light of day.
While debating the report yesterday, Senate Minority leader
Aaron Cheruiyot proposed the term length for senators to be extended from the
normal five years to 10 over what he described as the need to ensure equality
and fairness in Parliament.
While presenting the National Dialogue Committee (NADCO)
report on the floor of the House, Cheruiyot questioned why senators earn the
same level of salary as MPs despite holding different job descriptions.
He added that a senator has more responsibilities than an MP
and hence the pay should reflect the same.
To correct this, Cheruiyot noted that the most fitting way
to compensate the Senate is to extend the term length of a senator.
"There is a proposal on how to counterbalance Parliament.
"A senator earns as much as an MP although geographically, you represent a higher population than an MP.
"There are more responsibilities that
we have and are exclusive to the senate as opposed to the MPs," he stated.
"There are good proposals that have been made and in which we can compensate the Senate.
"In other countries, the term for a senator
is longer than that of others in lower Houses. There is the proposal to make
the senate serve a longer term than the provided five years."
The NADCO report was unveiled last year following
deliberations by a bipartisan team led by National Assembly Majority leader
Kimani Ichung'wah, on behalf of the government and Wiper's Kalonzo Musyoka, on
behalf of Raila Odinga’s Azimio.
The team failed to agree on two contentious issues including
the removal of the 16 per cent VAT on fuel and scrapping of the Housing Levy.
Parliament is set to debate the NADCO report. The outcome of
these deliberations may change the course of Kenya's political landscape.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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