Senators have proposed a bill to block former governors from vying for senatorial and Member of County Assembly (MCA) seats in future elections.
The bill was discussed by the Committee on Justice, Legal Affairs, and Human Rights in the Senate on September 5.
The Committee led by Bomet Senator Hillary Sigei, has adopted the proposals in the 2023 Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill which seeks to ban former governors from vying for five years after leaving office.
Initially, the proposal wanted to ban Ex-governors from vying for any seat, but it was amended to only bar them from senatorial and MCA seats.
According to the committee, senators and MCAs are crucial in auditing the financial statements of counties and may be compromised if former governors hold those offices.
“The proposed amendment, which seeks to limit former county governors from pursuing other public offices, has raised critical questions about its fairness, justification, selectivity, and its potential application to state offices, including positions in the National Assembly,” read the statement in part.
The committee is making final adjustments to the bill, before submitting a report to the Speaker, who will then determine whether it will be tabled in the Senate.
Nominated senator Raphael Chimera had initially drafted the bill with the intention to ban former governors from vying for political office.
Chimera, a UDA-nominated senator had noted that banning former county bosses from vying for any political seat will promote accountability.
He also added that the move would also promote transparency in the audit of financial records during their tenure.
On the other hand, the proposed bill may be seen as a setback to governors, since most of them usually vie for senatorial seats after their two terms.
The Constitution of Kenya 2010 limits governors to serve for only two terms.
If the Bill is passed in the Senate, governors who finish their second term will only have an option of vying for presidential and MP seats.
