NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenya’s Parliament is grappling with a disturbing trend of absenteeism among lawmakers, disrupting crucial legislative sessions despite the representatives being among the world’s highest-paid legislators.
Both the National Assembly and Senate have faced multiple quorum hitches, stalling the progress of significant legislative work.
This week, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei had to order the ringing of the quorum bell twice as the House struggled to meet the required 50-member threshold on both Wednesday and Thursday.
Despite the National Assembly’s 349 seats, including 60 committee chairpersons and vice-chairpersons, many members failed to attend, raising concerns about their commitment to legislative responsibilities.
This comes right after a week-long recess following the impeachment proceedings of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, which had seen full attendance.
The frequent lack of quorum has alarmed House leadership, particularly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, who, during a recent leadership retreat, warned MPs—especially committee leaders—that absenteeism could result in the loss of committee roles and privileges.
“You receive additional compensation and enjoy travel privileges because you are leaders. The least you can do in return is to consistently attend House sessions,” Wetang’ula stated.
Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the leadership would remove committee heads who repeatedly miss House sessions.
“If you’re a chairperson or vice chairperson, take your role seriously. Otherwise, there are 280 other members ready to take on these responsibilities,” he warned.
Lawmakers’ consistent absenteeism has disrupted proceedings across both Houses, with quorum challenges extending to the Senate as well.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi recently ordered the quorum bell to be rung for 10 minutes following members’ failure to appear for a session, contrasting with the full attendance seen during Gachagua’s impeachment proceedings.
The impact of lawmakers’ absence extends beyond procedural frustrations; it’s also a drain on taxpayers, who fund legislators’ generous salaries and allowances.
MPs earn a monthly salary of Ksh725,502, including a house allowance, and committee members receive additional pay for each session attended.
Committee leaders enjoy even higher allowances, with chairpersons pocketing Ksh15,000 per sitting.
With over 50 pending bills, 30 motions, and nearly 500 statements awaiting discussion, Kenyans are left questioning the value they receive from their elected representatives.
These quorum hitches are not new; absenteeism also plagued the last Parliament, where 261 MPs reportedly skipped over 50 sittings each.
While lawmakers are supposed to notify the Speaker of planned absences and face disciplinary action after missing eight sessions, records indicate that penalties have been rare due to inefficiencies in the current attendance monitoring system.
Nonetheless, calls for accountability are growing as taxpayers demand responsible representation from their leaders.
Both the National Assembly and Senate have faced multiple quorum hitches, stalling the progress of significant legislative work.
This week, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Shollei had to order the ringing of the quorum bell twice as the House struggled to meet the required 50-member threshold on both Wednesday and Thursday.
Despite the National Assembly’s 349 seats, including 60 committee chairpersons and vice-chairpersons, many members failed to attend, raising concerns about their commitment to legislative responsibilities.
This comes right after a week-long recess following the impeachment proceedings of former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, which had seen full attendance.
The frequent lack of quorum has alarmed House leadership, particularly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, who, during a recent leadership retreat, warned MPs—especially committee leaders—that absenteeism could result in the loss of committee roles and privileges.
“You receive additional compensation and enjoy travel privileges because you are leaders. The least you can do in return is to consistently attend House sessions,” Wetang’ula stated.
Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the leadership would remove committee heads who repeatedly miss House sessions.
“If you’re a chairperson or vice chairperson, take your role seriously. Otherwise, there are 280 other members ready to take on these responsibilities,” he warned.
Lawmakers’ consistent absenteeism has disrupted proceedings across both Houses, with quorum challenges extending to the Senate as well.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi recently ordered the quorum bell to be rung for 10 minutes following members’ failure to appear for a session, contrasting with the full attendance seen during Gachagua’s impeachment proceedings.
The impact of lawmakers’ absence extends beyond procedural frustrations; it’s also a drain on taxpayers, who fund legislators’ generous salaries and allowances.
MPs earn a monthly salary of Ksh725,502, including a house allowance, and committee members receive additional pay for each session attended.
Committee leaders enjoy even higher allowances, with chairpersons pocketing Ksh15,000 per sitting.
With over 50 pending bills, 30 motions, and nearly 500 statements awaiting discussion, Kenyans are left questioning the value they receive from their elected representatives.
These quorum hitches are not new; absenteeism also plagued the last Parliament, where 261 MPs reportedly skipped over 50 sittings each.
While lawmakers are supposed to notify the Speaker of planned absences and face disciplinary action after missing eight sessions, records indicate that penalties have been rare due to inefficiencies in the current attendance monitoring system.
Nonetheless, calls for accountability are growing as taxpayers demand responsible representation from their leaders.
