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Parliamentarians as the indirect people representatives are not above the law. However, their recent actions seem to assert they are! The National Assembly Speaker’s decision not to punish MPs who acted dishonorably during the Security Laws (Amendment) bill debate is essentially tolerance of status quo. The decision sends a wrong message on how to deal with difficult situations.
Apparently, the Parliamentarians only got a warning that such behavior will not be tolerated again. Some MPs had wanted to use the House Business Committee membership to remove the members who took part in the chaos as punishment for their actions.
When will our Parliamentarians start taking responsibility for their actions? Parliament is an honorable house. Its duties as per the Constitution lie at the core of public interest. With such a high value placed on the institution and the individuals who occupy it, Parliament must be accorded due respect.
Punishing the culpable MPs would have set a precedent and checked the possibility of a repeat of such behavior in the future. One laudable proposal is amending the standing orders which some legislators including Deputy Speaker Hon. Joyce Laboso alluded to. However, even in their current form, the standing orders have provisions and structures to effectively discipline Parliamentarians.
Parliament’s powers and privileges committee function is to ensure these elected leaders behave in an honorable manner both inside and outside Parliament. It has power to censure a member and ban them from attending some sittings. A ban of more than eight consecutive sittings would see a member loose his or her seat following which a by-election ensues.
Political parties are not immune either. They have been mum in the face of their members reckless behavior exhibited in the house. Some have lauded their colleagues for a job well done, meaning the behavior had the blessings of the parties. This is certainly unfortunate and sends the wrong message about the behavior political parties condone.
A lot of what ails Kenya is not the lack of laws or measures to curb things like graft, mismanagement or indiscipline. It is lack of enforcement. This has a direct implication on leadership and how it perceives and implements rules.
MPs are peoples’ representatives and their actions should be in line with what voters would deem to be public interest. It is highly unlikely that Kenyans of sound mind would be proud to be associated with appalling behavior. How can Kenyans censure their Parliamentarians behavior in the course of duty?
It should also be noted that MPs do not operate in a vacuum. In the space are institutions, laws and people who are observing them. The MPs did not have kind words for the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) when it informed that their behavior breached chapter six. This move was tantamount to them saying they are above the Constitution.
Only being decisive at all times will Parliament show it committed to the rule of law and it is a dignified house of honorable members.
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