Report exposes ‘dumb’ MPs

Alex Kosgei (MP Emgwen)

 Mathare MP Steven Kariuki is among three other MPs who are yet to make their maiden speech in the House since they were elected close to two years ago. According to an audit released by Mzalendo.com, Emgwen MP Alex Kosgey and Janet Teiyaa who was nominated to represent the disabled are yet to contribute on the floor of the House.

Kariuki joined the National Assembly following a by-election in August last year after he successfully petitioned the election of TNA rival George Wanjohi in the March 2013 General Election.

Kosgey won the seat in the last General Election on a URP ticket. He almost lost his seat in August last year when a group of residents from his constituency petitioned the Speaker of the National Assembly to recall him for skipping 60 parliamentary sittings. In their petition, they raised concerns in the matter of absenteeism and non-attendance citing that he failed to represent the people of Emgwen constituency.

According to the Constitution, “the office of an MP becomes vacant when in any session of Parliament, the member is absent from eight sittings of the relevant House without permission, in writing, from the Speaker, and is unable to offer a satisfactory explanation for the absence to the relevant committee”.


Kariuki is the son of former Starehe legislature Bishop Margaret Wanjiru while Kosgey is the son of former Cabinet minister and formally ODM chairman Henry Kosgey. The report, which monitors activities of parliamentarians, indicates that 10 other MPs did not contribute to debate on the floor of the House in 2014.

They include Abdullahi Banticha (Isiolo South), Benjami Andayi (Khwisero), Benson Mbai (Masinga), Charles Gimose (Hamisi), Chris Bichage (former Nyaribari Chache), Lemanken Aramat (Narok East).

Others include Kangundo’s Maweu Katatha, Sammy Koech (Konoin), Kilifi Women’s Representative Aisha Jumwa Katana and her counterpart from Kisii County Mary Keraa. Jessica Musila, executive director at Mzalendo said the report is ther key metrics in ensuring that MPs fulfills their responsibility of representation, oversight and legislation.

“While it is difficult to measure the quality of a single parliamentarian, oral statements made on the floor of the House are an important performance measure for both members of the National Assembly and senators. According to Article 204 of the Constitution, the Commission on Revenue Allocation created the County Development Index, which Parliament uses, in allocating money for development and for the equalisation fund.

The plenary speeches are used as an instrument to assess which Member of Parliament (National Assembly and Senate) is most effective in representing his or her jurisdiction. However, Musila said there is a marked improvement in parliamentarians’ performance compared to the 2013 report.
In 2014, more than 150 members of the National Assembly gave between 20 and 100 contributions to debate in the House unlike in 2013 where more than a third of them spoke less than 10 times each. Their audit is based on 122 sittings for duration of 34 weeks.

In the same period, Suba MP John Mbadi was reported as the best performing MP in the National Assembly followed by Samuel Chepkonga and Asman Kamama. Amina Abdalla was the leading woman legislator for a second year running having spoken 627 times, Millie Odhiambo (361) while Florence Kajuju spoke 277 times.

In the Senate, Bungoma Senator Moses Wetangula led the pack as he spoke 804 times, Bonny Khalwale, (603), Billow Kerro, (284) while Beatrice Elachi emerged the best performing woman senator with 152 plenary speeches.