Imenti North MP Rahim Dawood has raised concerns over the effectiveness of Parliament’s legislative role, saying the President’s power to return bills with reservations makes law-making seem pointless.
Speaking in the National Assembly on Thursday, Dawood expressed frustration after his Cancer Prevention and Control (Amendment) Bill, which took two years to process, was largely scrapped due to presidential objections.
“It is like there is no point in making any laws in this House,” Dawood lamented. “If the President’s reservations have to be taken into account, then what’s the meaning of law-making? Let them come from the Executive then we just pass them.”
The MP noted that while the bill went through both Houses and multiple committees, it was eventually declared overtaken by events after the government enacted four key Universal Health Coverage laws: the Primary Health Care Act, 2023, the Digital Health Act, 2023, the Facility Improvement Financing Act, 2023, and the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023.
Dagoreti South MP John Kiarie defended the President’s decision, saying Dawood’s frustrations lay not in the veto process but in the time it takes to pass legislation. “The President is right to place these reservations because the provisions were already covered by other laws,” Kiarie argued.
Senior Counsel and Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo sympathised with Dawood but reminded the House that MPs still hold ultimate authority. He pointed out that with a two-thirds majority, Parliament can override presidential reservations.
However, Amollo also criticised the long-standing practice of presidents going beyond making reservations to effectively amend legislation. “That’s the impropriety that ought to be addressed,” he said.
Dawood’s remarks have reignited debate on the balance of power between Parliament and the Executive, with lawmakers divided on whether the presidential veto strengthens or undermines democratic law-making.
