Row over devolution cash sending bad signal, says independence MP

By TOBIAS CHANJI

Kassim Mwamzandi, one of the surviving members of the first Parliament lives a quiet life in Msambweni, Kwale.

He represented Kwale East Constituency after independence; sitting in what was then the Lower House while former powerful Cabinet minister Robert Matano represented Kwale West.

In a recent interview with The Standard, Mwamzandi, who was last in Parliament in 1997 reflected on historical origins of the current stand off between National Assembly and Senate, adding that some of the tactics, allegedly used by first President Jomo Kenyatta regime are being repeated on county governments and devolution created by Constitution.

But he added that unlike in the independence Constitution when Senate was clearly the Upper House with veto/supervisory powers over the Lower House, today’s Senate has no authority over the National Assembly.

Wishes of Kanu

Mr Kassim Mwamzandi was first elected to Parliament in 1963 when, according to him, the roles of the two Chambers of the bicameral House were clear.

“Senate was the Upper House while Parliament was the Lower House,” he says, adding that currently both Houses are equal.

He says that delegates from the defunct Kenya African Democratic Union (Kadu) party forced creation of Senate during talks at Lancaster House in London to support federalism against wishes of Kanu.

“There was a meeting at Lancaster House in London where the Upper House was established. But from the onset, Kanu was against federal system of government unlike Kadu,” Mwamzandi says.

MPs were elected from constituencies across the country, he says, adding that senators were elected from eight regions that later came to be provinces. And every constituency produced five elected representatives, who formed the regional assemblies that could pass laws for regions, according to Mwamzandi.

“Bills were discussed in the Lower House, passed then taken to Upper House for amendment or approval before the president assented to them,” says the former MP.

“Senate had only two permanent committees; Public Investments and Public Accounts,” he says adding that there were signs at independence that the Kenyatta regime was plotting against the regions.

“Just like the signs we are seeing now, the regions were not given money and eventually, they were killed,” he states.

“After the death of Senate, special seats were created in every district to accommodate the senators as MPs.”

Currently, Kwale County comprises of four constituencies namely Matuga, Msambweni, Kinango and Lungalunga.

At independence, Roki Mchinga became Kwale’s first senator.

Mwamzandi also discussed the current clamour by Members of the National Assembly to award themselves higher salaries and profiteer from sitting in departmental committees.

The former MP says that when he entered Parliament in 1963, earnings were meagre but politicians were committed to their legislative duties.

Battle ahead

“I started with Sh833 and until 1997, it had not gone beyond Sh100,000. Sitting allowance per session was Sh2, Sh130 as mileage but there was no house or medical allowance and there was no CDF,” adding that legislators had to look for “our own money” to fund projects through harambees.

“The current members do not have citizens’ concerns at heart. All they think is to enrich themselves. Devolution will only succeed if the counties are given money and I am seeing a tough battle ahead,” he explains.

Mwamzandi said in the past, MPs suffered in silence because the Kenyatta government did not support freedom of speech since he did not want dissenting voices. “Even critical issues could not be reported as the only channel was the Voice of Kenya, currently KBC.”

Mwamzandi served between 1963-1983 and then 1988-1997.