The life of the National Assembly in the twelfth Parliament came to an end last evening in accordance with the House calendar after the House adjourned at 7.10 pm yesterday to proceed on sine die recess.
Sine die recess means that the National Assembly will start a recess without a definite or specific date of returning, but MPs can still be called back any day before 9th August to consider any urgent or extremely important business.
In accordance with the 2010 Constitution, Parliament is no longer dissolved as was the case before.
Leader of the Majority Amos Kimunya told the MPs that they could be recalled anytime to consider a business that may arise.
“It’s the last day of the 12th Parliament in this chamber. Even as we adjourn, we are MPs until August 8, 2022. We are only taking a recess but we are on duty,” Kimunya reminded his colleagues.
The MPs threatened to shoot down a proposal to have the calendar of the House extended by a week.
Speaker Justin Muturi had argued that it was not proper for one House of Parliament to adjourn sine die while the other was still in session.
Kenyans will have to spend over two billion shillings for send-off packages for MPs and Senators whose 5-year term ends on August 9.
Each MP and Senator who have served for one term will each take home Sh5.8 million, while those who have served more than one term will be entitled to a full pension amounting to Sh7.8 million, according to a report from the Parliamentary Pensions Scheme.
Though the MPs and the Senators are entitled to the send-off packages, the outgoing Clerk of the National Assembly, Michael Sialai insisted that the lawmakers are not eligible to receive gratitude. The MPS have however defended the send-off packages saying they deserve it due to the nature of their work.
Out of the 416 lawmakers, only 12 have served more than one term. The 12 will each take home a sum of Sh7.8 million as a pension plus Sh180,000 as a monthly stipend for life.