1.Amend the Constitution;
2. Alter the boundaries of counties;
3. Protect the Constitution and promote the democratic governance of Kenya; and
4. Under the authority of the Constitution, or of any other written legislation, make provisions having the force of law in Kenya.
The National Assembly shall perform the following functions:
1.Represent the interests of constituencies and special interests;
2.Deliberate and solve issues of concern to the people;
3. Enact legislation;
4. Determine the allocation of national revenue between the levels of government;
5. Appropriate funds for expenditure by the national government and other national State organs;
6. Review the conduct of the President, Deputy President and other State officers and initiate the process of removing them from office;
7. Exercise oversight over State organs; and
8. Approve declarations of war and extensions of states of emergency.
From the foregoing, it would seem, on the face of it, that our National Assembly has shirked its duties. The dismal record of poor quorum in the National Assembly is a no longer funny. Kenneth Matiba set a bad precedent with his 'technical' appearances in the 1990s. Today, it seems that MPs spend more time kissing ass outside the august House, than carrying on the business of the National Assembly. If they had been doing their job, especially after the dire warnings of the Kenya Meteorological Department in November 2010, the famine that is ravaging the country could have been addressed in advance. Their authority under the Constitution to appropriate funds for expenditure by he national government should have been exercised well in time to compel the Executive branch of government to set process and structures in place for the alleviation of the expected suffering of the people of Kenya. The argument by Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim regarding the continued failure by the government should also be an indictment of the blinkered pig-headednes of the National Assembly, fractured as it is along ideological, party and tribal lines. The fact that some of its members have embarked on early presidential campaigns means that their minds are not focussed on the unfolding tragedy in parts of the country, more particularly the dire situation in northern Kenya - a region that has been neglected by successive governments, including by the National Assembly, since Independence.
When choosing our next representatives, and in the formation of the next government, including the county governments, we must be wary of men and women peddling the same stuff from years gone by. This idea that we owe them fealty simply because we speak the same mother-tongue or come from the same geographical area must be discarded as it is the reason why they seem unable to focus on issues that affect us directly. In their zeal to protect their interests they have frequently thrown us in front of the bus. Today we must make it plain that they have failed us and that their fifteen minutes are up. It is frequently claimed that Kenyans are bright and intelligent, capable of finding solutions to the most vexing problems that face them. If this is so, the time to prove it is today. They must draw the line in the sand that if the current members of the National Assembly wish to retain their seats at the next general elections, they must shape up. They have about a year to prove to us that their focus is not simply to embarass one man or to keep their seats. They must demonstrate the resolve that has been so lacking in managing the affairs of this nation. If not, pink slips must be handed out by the gross at the next elections. Tell them, Thank you, and good-bye! Our patience has run out. We are mad and we won't take it any more.
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