In a recent interview with Citizen TV on Tuesday 29th January 2019, Aden Duale who doubles as the Leader of Majority at the National Assembly confirmed that he would prefer a parliamentary system, albeit with some reservations.
Duale noted that although such system will be favourable to people like him to become a Prime Minister, the current crop of MPs will make the government more turbulent by changing the Prime Minister more frequently.
This, he argued, would be at play if the leaders' interests are not met. In my view, the sabotages on many Governors by MCAs at the county level is a pointer of what can transpire if the legislature is given the power to hire and fire a Prime Minister.
After a successful Referendum in 2008, many Kenyans believed they had clipped the MPs powers to hike their pay perks by appointing an independent commission.
However many of us forgot that the hiring powers would still be vested upon the Nation Assembly when setting up the independent commission.
Kenyans were however shocked when the 11th Parliament had barely taken-off, when MPS demanded pay hikes!
MPs maneuvered their way out by using their constitutional powers to arm-twist the SRC and the executive to award them hefty pay perks.
It is from this background that we cannot entrust our current crop of MPs with powers to appoint someone in charge of the country.
We should not repeat the mistake of putting new wine in old wineskins that will land the Kenyan government into a perilous status of uncertainty.
If the parliamentary system should be adopted, then any legislator who has been in parliament should not be allowed to vie for any legislative position.
The new MPS should be given a maximum of 2 terms without any retirement packages; because the legislative position is purely service to the community, it is immoral to take it as a form of employment.
However, if they should be rewarded retirement packages after a maximum of 2 terms, then a clause for age limit that applies to all public servants should be adopted.
There should be a clause to bar anyone who has ever held a legislative position to vie for a similar position in other levels of the legislature; for instance, after a maximum of two terms in a county assembly, an MCA should not be allowed to vie for positions as an MP or Senator.
Similarly, those who have been Governors should not be appointed to the cabinet. This system will curb the habit of recycling old wineskins.
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