Why The Senate is the counties’ guardian angel

<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE </xml><xml> </xml> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0cm; mso-para-margin-right:0cm; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0cm; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} </style> October 3^rd – 14^th 2016 saw the Senate of Kenya host a rather unique crop of employees spread from various Directorates ranging from Legislative and Procedural Services to Committee Services. These employees were in real sense not employed by the Parliamentary Service Commission that employs Parliamentary staff but by thirteen different County Assembly Service Boards.

This was the Third County Staff Legislative Attachment which is in line with the Constitution of Kenya Article 96(1) which states that “The Senate represents the counties, and serves to protect the interest of the counties and their governments.”

While at Senate, the county staff was granted access to all facilities just like the Senate staff and were practically co-opted in the day to day execution of legislative duties including preparation of plenary session Votes and Proceedings, drafting various communications, taking Committee minutes among others.

Each one was attached to a Senate staff that acted as an immediate supervisor that made daily observation and evaluation related to performance. The evaluation would later culminate in a graduation ceremony presided over by the Speaker of the Senate.

Addressing the graduands at a graduation ceremony held at Nairobi Serena Hotel, the Speaker of the Senate Hon. Ekwee Ethuro asked them to employ the skills gained to catapult their respective County Assemblies to higher heights. He explained that the program was designed to acquaint them with the best practice and procedure in legislative, legal, procedural, committee, research services, administrative and media relations for the enhancement and support of legislative processes to strengthen the county assemblies and the legislative process.

On his part, the Clerk of the Senate Mr. Jeremiah Nyegenye assured counties of continued support and partnership in a bid to further strengthen devolution.