Contents of bill whose public responses crashed Senate email system

• The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2024 sparked intense public interest
• The Bill aims to address key areas like extension of terms for officeholders, Senate's leadership role, bill origination procedures, revenue and budget procedures, etc
• The public has been invited to submit their views by delivering written memoranda to the Clerk of the Senate

The Senate of Kenya recently experienced an unprecedented surge in public participation regarding the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2024 (Senate Bills No. 46 of 2024), which led to the crashing of its official email system.

This Bill, which was introduced for its first reading in the Senate on Thursday, September 26, 2024, invites the public to submit their memoranda and attend a public hearing session to express their views on its contents.

The overwhelming response from Kenyans demonstrates the keen interest in the Bill's provisions, which aim to amend several aspects of the Constitution.

Key amendments proposed by the bill

The Bill seeks to amend the Constitution to address several critical areas, including:

1. Involvement of both houses in national emergencies
2. The Bill seeks to ensure that both the National Assembly and the Senate are involved in approving extensions of a state of emergency.
3. Senate oversight on revenue matters
4. It proposes to provide clearer guidelines on the Senate’s role in overseeing revenue raised by or allocated to county governments.

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5. Extension of terms for key officeholders

• Members of Parliament (MPs): The Bill suggests extending the term of an MP from five to seven years.
• President: The term of office for the President is also proposed to extend from five to seven years, among other leadership roles.

6. Senate's leadership role

7. It will provide for the leadership and precedence of the Senate, outlining its role more clearly.

8. Bill origination procedures

9. It clarifies that except for a Money Bill, either House of Parliament can originate a Bill. This aims to streamline legislative processes and reduce confusion.

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10. Revenue and budget procedures

• Division of revenue bill: The Bill outlines the procedure for considering both the Division of Revenue Bill and the County Allocation of Revenue Bill by both Houses of Parliament.
• Appropriations bills: Both Houses will also deliberate on the Appropriation Bill and Supplementary Appropriation Bill.

11. Enhanced county government accountability

12. One of the most significant proposals is to enhance the participation of county governments in budget preparations and establish mechanisms for accountability within county public entities.

13. Prime minister and deputy governor roles

• The bill introduces the position of Prime Minister, appointed by the President from among the members of parliament.
• It also provides procedures for the removal of a Governor or Deputy Governor.

14. Additional reforms on governance

• Financial accountability: The Bill seeks to strengthen financial accountability across state organs and public entities, including audits by the Auditor General.
• Kenya Defence Forces: It proposes that parliamentary approval is needed before the deployment of the Kenya Defence Forces in any part of the country.

Public participation and response

In accordance with the provisions of Articles 118 and 256 of the Constitution, the public has been invited to submit their views by delivering written memoranda to the Clerk of the Senate by Friday, October 25, 2024, at 5:00 p.m.

The response has been so overwhelming that the Senate’s email system crashed, highlighting the intensity of public interest in these amendments.

Moreover, the Senate has also scheduled a public hearing to take place on Friday, October 25, 2024, at the Senate Chamber, Parliament Buildings, Nairobi. The hearing will provide an additional platform for citizens to voice their opinions.

This high level of engagement by Kenyans reflects the significance of the proposed changes, which touch on both national governance and the management of devolved units.

This content was created with the help of an AI model and verified by the writer.