National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale has accused his Senate counterpart Kipchumba Murkomen of allegedly peddling lies on Health Amendment Bill of 2018.
On Monday, President Uhuru Kenyatta assented into law the bill. Ironically, despite Murkomen raising procedural issues, he was among those in State House with Speaker Kenneth Lusaka when Uhuru signed it.
The Bill now an Act of Parliament amends various laws among them the Pharmacy and Poisons Act Cap.244, the Nutritionists and Dieticians Act, 2007, the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Act Cap 253, the Nurses Act Cap. 252, the Kenya Medical Training College Act Cap. 261 and the Kenya Medical Supplies Authority Act, 2013.
On social media, Duale dismissed Murkomen's argument that the Bill should have passed through Senate before being signed into law. He also said that Senate should only focus on laws affecting the county.
"To my utter shock the Leader of Majority Party of the Senate, Senator Murkomen has been reported arguing that the Act was passed unprocedurally as it was never considered by the Senate as required by the Constitution. Never mind yesterday media was awash with pictures of Senator Murkomen standing next to the President assenting to the same Bill which he is now challenging how it was processed by the National Assembly.
"This is pure hypocrisy and one which requires to be treated with contempt!It is also worrying that such comments are coming from Senator Murkomen who is an advocate of the High Court," argued Duale.
He wondered why Senator Murkomen had to wait until the Bill was signed into law to raise the issues. Further, Duale accused his colleague of being ignorant of the constitution.
"Why did Murkomen wait until the Bill is assented to raise concerns on the nature of the Bill? Did he ever raise his concerns with his Speaker? The Bill was passed last year by the National Assembly why raise issues on the Bill five months later? Only him can answer these questions but whatever his reasoning one thing is certain he has chosen to feign ignorance of the provisions of the Constitution. For what reasons only him knows."
But according to Murkomen, serious procedures were ignored while processing the bill which President Uhuru Kenyatta had raised reservations about last yest. To him, it became an Act of National Assembly rather than parliament.
"This is not Aden Duale ‘s handwriting neither is it his English. The purported health laws Amendment Act having been passed without due regard to the Constitution especially Arts. 109 & 110 are unconstitutional and therefore null and void. It is not an act of Parliament but rather and act of National Assembly which is not recognized anywhere in the Republic of Kenya. It is therefore to be ignored and treated with the contempt it deserves," he said.