TTHE KENYAN MP: BALANCING MANY ROLES AND FUNCTIONS IN THE NATIONAL INTEREST
The job of an MP in Kenya – and around the Commonwealth – is a complex balancing act involving a broad array of functions and demands, all of which must be handled effectively for the good of the country, says a leading Kenyan Parliamentarian.
Hon. David Musila,
MP, in Nairobi. Mr Musila is an Orange Democratic Movement- Kenya Member and is Assistant Minister of State for Defence. A former senior civil servant, he was first elected to Parliament in 1997. He chairs the National Organizing Committee for the 56th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference.
The essential role of a Member of Parliament lies within the specific functions assigned to Parliament in the constitutional structure of the state.
In Kenya, there are 210 elected,
10 nominated and two ex officio Members, faced with an ever- growing array of expectations from society. MPs are required to ensure the issues that affect their constituents are addressed and, in the words of the 18th century political philosopher Edmund Burke: "It is his duty to sacrifice his repos, his pleasures, his satisfaction, to constituents; and above all, ever and in all cases, to prefer their interests to his own."
The roles of Members in Kenya Universally, MPs are expected to perform five central roles in national governance:
• Legislation: Legislators consider, refine and pass Bills to improve the lives of Kenyans. Though most Bills come from the executive, MPs
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can also introduce Bills as private Members.
bridge between the electorate and the government. They relay issues facing voters to the government for consideration and press for action. Also, they communicate to the public ongoing
government plans and policies to address their concerns.
Hon. David Musila, MP.
• Oversight: The oversight role extends to scrutiny of financial, administrative and
management practices of the executive and public officers. MPs hold the executive to account for expenditure, government programmes and policies. The guiding principle is to ensure there is prudent use of resources and proper implementation of policies.
• Representation: MPs are the
• Financial appropriation and control: MPs debate and pass financial estimates contained in the budget presented by the executive, including taxation measures for raising revenue to finance public development programmes; and
• Making and unmaking of government: Parliament has the power to vote out the executive through a vote of no- confidence. This is a powerful lever at its disposal to determine the life of the government by providing or withholding support to either the entire government or a Member of the executive.
MPs, however, go beyond these traditional roles and perform other roles such as: