The Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) has rejected a request by the 32 nominated MPs in both the Senate and the National Assembly to have offices at constituency level.
Setting up a fully furnished office for the MPs, which would have required at least six staff each, would have meant additional costs for the commission at a time when all levels of government are operating under austerity measures.
The Nation has also learnt that the commission did not want to create two centres of power in its meeting, with a nominated MP having the same office as an elected MP, as this would have created unnecessary political acrimony.
Some nominated MPs who want to be elected usually use the position as a ladder to popularise themselves before elections, and giving them a constituency office would have given them an upper hand for the five-year period.
At the same time, the question of where the constituency offices of the nominated MPs would be located also led the commission to shelve the idea.
The commission also argued that the nominated MPs already had an office in Nairobi with staff to coordinate their activities, so it was not feasible to create another office for them at the constituency level.
The commission was also faced with the dilemma of how to deal with cases like Nairobi, where there are many nominated MPs, and where to rent the offices for them, which would have created conflicts even among the nominated MPs themselves.
The National Assembly has 12 nominated members—picked by parties according to their representation among the elected members—to represent special interests including the youth, persons with disabilities and workers.
The Senate, on the other hand, has 20, including 16 female members, all nominated by the political parties in proportion to their representation among the elected senators, two members, one male and one female, representing the youth, and two members, one male and one female, representing persons with disabilities.
This means that if the commission had agreed to their request, it would have built 32 new offices for the nominated MPs at constituency level and provided them with staff.
Speaking on the issue in Naivasha on Tuesday during the opening of the three-day mid-term retreat for MPs, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang'ula said the commission rejected the request because of the geographical location.
"The Commission deliberated on the issue and rejected the request, noting that offices are linked to geographical areas represented. In addition, the Commission was of the view that it could lead to the creation of numerous constituency offices in a single constituency where there is more than one nominated member," said Mr Wetang'ula.
Mr Wetang'ula, who is also the chairperson of the PSC, said the issue of providing constituency offices for nominated MPs was brought to the attention of the commission during the last meeting.
"As you are aware, our constituency offices are the face of Parliament at the grassroots level, linking the public to their representatives," said Mr Wetang'ula.
The Speaker noted that the constituency offices were useful as focal points that would reflect the threshold of public participation in a matter of such immense national interest, such as the consideration of the impeachment motion against former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua, which happened in October 2024.
Mr Wetang'ula said having identified the important role that constituency offices play in public disclosure, the Commission will continue to invest in their capacity, infrastructure and staffing, not only as a matter of necessity but also as a matter of responsibility.
"By strengthening these offices, the PSC has ensured that the bridge between Members and their constituents remains strong, fostering trust, cooperation and progress at grassroots level," said Mr Wetang'ula.
During the public participation undertaken by Parliament during the consideration of Mr Gachagua's impeachment motion, the House relied on the constituency offices as part of its outreach to all parts of the country to seek the views of the people on the matter.
Following the successful use of the offices, the House resolved to use them in the future for important bills, especially those relating to taxation.
The Clerk of the National Assembly, Samuel Njoroge, said that they now intend to engage the public more through forums organised at constituency level and not just in hotels in Nairobi.
"Going forward, we will use the constituency offices and staff to engage the public on bills that we consider controversial, popular and those that have a direct impact on the people. We will go to the people and engage them and respect their views," said Mr Njoroge.
