Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar at a past event. Photo/ the-star.co.ke
Mombasa Senator Hassan Omar has told off leaders calling for the disbandment of the Senate in a bid to control the country's bloated wage bill.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Legislative Summit in Mombasa on Tuesday, Omar said those who do not appreciate the role the Senate plays in the current governance structure do not understand devolution.Omar accused the National Assembly of repeatedly making attempts to do away with the Senate, something he said will effectively kill devolution which he says is a life-changer in Kenya.He said instead of disbanding the Senate which only has 67 members, the number of constituencies should be slashed.On the Senate's supremacy wars with governors, Omar defended the decisions they have been making as the Upper House, adding that they are only meant to bring the county bosses to account.Omar's sentiment comes barely a week after President Uhuru Kenyatta in his State of the Nation Address called for the slashing of elected leaders' salaries as a way to contain the country's ballooning wage bill, something that has elicited mixed reactions among politicians.