Wajir Senator Mohamed Abass and Nominated Senator Catherine Mumma have been unanimously elected as the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson, respectively, of the Senate Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations.
Their election follows the Senate’s approval of a Motion to reconstitute Standing Committees, paving the way for fresh leadership selections.
In his maiden speech after securing the position, Senator Abass expressed gratitude to the nine committee members for their confidence in his leadership. He pledged to champion the devolution agenda and called for teamwork to fulfill the committee’s mandate.
“Now that we have finished the elections, I urge all of us to work as a team so that we can fulfill our mandate. We have a short time to go with a lot of work ahead,” he said.
Senator Abass, a former Wajir MP, also welcomed Kiambu Senator Karungo Thang’wa to the committee, recognizing his experience as a former MCA for Ngewa Ward from 2013 to 2017. Senator Thang’wa transitions from the Standing Committee on Roads and Transportation, where he served as Chairperson.
Vice Chairperson Senator Mumma urged her colleagues to focus on clearing the backlog of pre-2010 legislation to align Kenya’s laws with the Constitution’s devolution framework.
“It is a shame that 15 years after devolution, Kenya still has laws that contradict the Constitution on devolution matters,” she noted.
She also lauded Senator Thang’wa’s contribution to devolution, citing his legislative proposals aimed at strengthening county governance.
Senator Thang’wa, in his remarks, vowed to support the committee’s work, recalling his past interactions with it as an MCA.
“When I was an MCA, I appeared before this committee to present a petition. I believe this is the committee that can change the way things are done at the counties,” he said.
The newly elected leaders now face the task of advancing the devolution agenda and fostering stronger intergovernmental relations.
