Absentee legislators: Speaker Wetangula raises concern over MPs dodging Parliamentary sessions

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has raised alarm over delays in the debating and passing of crucial legislative bills owing to lack of quorum in the August House.

Speaking in Mombasa during a parliamentary leadership retreat, Wetangula noted that the House has been experiencing quorum hitches from time to time while adding that it is falling short of its mandate to review legislation.

Wetangula, who was addressing both the majority and minority leaders in the National Assembly as well as the House's committee chairpersons and their deputies was candid in expressing his disappointment with the lawmakers.

"We must avoid the little bits of embarrassments of lacking quorum in the house; as leaders you carry responsibility that others don't have," said the Speaker.

Chapter 8, Article 121 of the Constitution, stipulates that legislative quorums should have at least 50 members out of 349 in the case of the National Assembly and 15 members out of 67 in the case of the Senate, a number Wetangula says is not raised easily

The Mombasa meeting also revealed that Tuesdays and Thursdays are the most notorious days for quorum hitches in the House. Tuesday is when MPs return from their weekend, while Thursday is when they break for their long weekend.

"This quorum thing is a big headache; every time we have serious things to do we have no quorum...especially Tuesdays and Thursdays," minority leader Opiyo Wandayi said on his part.

The National Assembly is currently on a long recess and will resume house sittings next week.