The Senate has invited Kenyans to submit their views on a constitutional amendment bill that seeks to expand its authority and reposition it as a fully empowered upper house.
In a notice issued Friday, Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye urged citizens to file written memoranda on the Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which had its first reading last week.
The Bill is spearheaded by Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho) and Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo (Kilifi), with input from Justice and Legal Affairs Committee chair Hillary Sigei (Bomet), and senior counsels Okongo Omogeni (Nyamira) and Tom Ojienda (Kisumu).
Speaker Amason Kingi has referred the Bill to the Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee (JLAC), which will conduct public hearings in all 47 counties. The Senate says the reforms aim to strengthen devolution and dispel the perception that the House is politically idle.
According to Nyegenye, the Bill seeks to address “challenges of constitutional design and architecture” while promoting harmony within Kenya’s governance structure.
Among its most significant proposals are giving the Senate power to approve the national budget, vet constitutional office holders, veto decisions of the National Assembly, initiate legislation, and participate in the removal of state officers.
The draft law also proposes the creation of a County Assembly Fund to grant county assemblies financial independence.
“The principal object of the Bill is to strengthen and secure devolution. The draft Bill seeks to provide a framework to achieve this purpose by reviewing the mandate of the Senate and the National Assembly,” the Bill reads.
In addition, the Bill introduces a formal leadership structure in the Senate, including majority and minority leaders, mirroring elements of the US Senate.
Opposition leader Raila Odinga has publicly backed the reforms. “We would like to see our Senate work like that of the US, give it proper powers and responsibilities,” he told senators in May, receiving applause from members.
If passed, legislative authority at the national level would be shared between both Houses. Bills could originate in either chamber, with Allocation Bills beginning in the Senate and Appropriation Bills starting in the National Assembly, subject to amendment and veto by the originating House.
The preamble of the Bill underscores that its overarching aim is to “strengthen and secure devolution.”
