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The proposed law, currently before the Senate Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee, seeks to consolidate Kenya’s fragmented referendum laws into a single legal framework governing constitutional, county and public interest referenda.
Committee work has also been affected, with meetings frequently cancelled due to poor attendance or absent witnesses. Cabinet Secretaries, Principal Secretaries, governors, and heads of state agencies have increasingly skipped summons, frustrating oversight work
The hearing followed a petition by Zedekiah Adika, who raised alarm over poor accessibility at facilities including Bima Towers, Uhuru na Kazi offices, Mombasa Law Courts, county offices and other state premises.
The matter was introduced in the House by Nandi Senator Samson Cherargei, who pressed the government to clarify whether regulatory bodies had taken sufficient action to monitor market reactions after the April 2026 fuel price revision.
At the centre of the deliberations was frustration from lawmakers who accused state institutions of repeatedly offering promises while failing to deliver practical reforms.
Ministry of Roads and Transport CS Davis Chirchir told the Senate that a proposed Road Maintenance Levy Fund formula would allocate 84.98% to national trunk roads and 15.02% to county roads, with ring-fenced county accounts.
Affidavits tabled before the committee allege that county officials, accompanied by unidentified individuals, forcefully entered homes, broke doors, ransacked property, looted valuables and evicted tenants despite existing court orders.
Appearing before the committee on Wednesday, the CS said the energy sector must urgently modernise its systems to respond to increasing climate threats such as floods, droughts, heatwaves, storms, wildfires and extreme winds.
Energy and Petroleum CS Opiyo Wandayi told the Senate that the proposed Tanga oil refinery should proceed only if it is commercially viable. He cited past suspension of Changamwe operations and expected South Lokichar output levels.
The Committee, chaired by Senator Hillary Sigei, was on Tuesday reviewing a statement sought in September 2023 by Senator Catherine Mumma. The statement raises key issues, including the legal definition of Indigenous peoples, classification of communities, and the role of a State department on the matter.
Article 112 provides that if one House passes an ordinary Bill concerning counties and the second House rejects the Bill, it shall be referred to a mediation committee appointed under Article 113.
According to a recently published report, delayed disbursements, disputes over national versus county government functions, and inconsistencies in the application of revenue-sharing formulas are some of the notable challenges that have undermined the allocation process.