LACK OF FUNDS DERAILING DRAFTING OF BILLS IN COUNTY ASSEMBLIES

Apr 29, 2014 Editor Kisumu News Kisumu, News 0

BY OMOLLO ODHIAMBO

Lack of funds to foot the cost of drafting bills is derailing the participation of female Members of County Assembly (MCAs) in sponsoring bills in the assemblies.

Federation for Women Lawyers (FIDA) has expressed fears that the MCAs may fail to meet their obligations of legislation as they cannot fund the legislation processes.

According to FIDA representative June Ashioya, the cost of drafting a bill ranges between KES. 500, 000 and KES. 2 million, which she said is too expensive for the MCAs.

The costs which include legal consultation, holding of stakeholders’ forums, logistical costs and holding public forums to enhance public participation are some of the major costs required to make a successful bill.

Ashioya said the drafting of Private Members Bills are funded by the individuals who table the bills, a move she said has discouraged many MCAs from bringing bills before the assemblies.

Ashioya said most female legislators in the 47 county assemblies were nominated and lack the financial power to foot the cost of drafting bills.

Members of Kisumu County Assembly debate in the house

County Assemblies on the other hand sponsor in-house bills only making it challenging for members to bring their own bills.

The cost increases with the size and complexity of the bill. Our technical support to the female MCAs may not bear fruits if the skills are not put into practice just because of lack of funds, said Ashioya.

In November last year, FIDA launched a program to provide a lawyer to each of the 47 County Assemblies in the country to advise female assembly members on legislations.

Through the Transformative Justice Department, the federation devolved its legislative watchdog role to the county assemblies which has become a vital institution in legislative issues.

The move was aimed at improving the participation of women MCAs in the legislative processes in the county assemblies. In the pilot project, 10 counties including; Kisumu, Kisii, Nakuru, Kericho, Wajir, Isiolo, Nairobi, Nyandarua, Mombasa and Kwale were identified with contact FIDA members assigned to them.

With one year into the devolution government, the association is still unable to expand the services to the remaining counties due to inadequate funds.

We would like as many women MCAs to actively engage in the legislation processes in the county assemblies and this can only be achieved if they are empowered, said Ashioya.

Ashioya however said FIDA’s funding from Diaconia and Association of Media Women in Kenya (AMWIK) is not enough to cater for the drafting of bills.

The funding can only sponsor technical support and training of the MCAs and not the actual funding of the process of making the laws,she added.

• county assembly, fida, lack of funds, lack of funds derail bills, mcas, new bills