Senate Speaker Ken Lusaka has suspended hybrid sittings of plenary beginning Thursday in what he attributed to the decline in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country.
In his communication before the House during the Tuesday sitting, Lusaka however, noted that House Committees can still continue having hybrid meeting while discharging their duties.
“Whereas virtual/ hybrid sittings have had a positive impact for Committees, the converse effect of this has been a drastic reduction in the number of Senators attending Plenary Sittings both physically and virtually,” he said.
The decision was ratified by the Senate House Business Committee.
The House in July 2020 amended its Standing Orders to provide for virtual sittings owing to a spike of COVID-19 cases then.
House Majority Leader Samuel Poghisio noted that the decision was timely but cautioned members to continue to being weary of the threat of the virus.
“We seem to be in total agreement that we resume normal House sittings,” he said.
House Minority Leader James Orengo submitted that the move would foster good debate three months before the House adjourns indefinitely due to the August polls.
“In order to have honest and true debate we should be able to be present and interact and I think this is the part of the debate that goes on,” he said.
Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen also welcomed the decision noting that the hybrid system had bred a culture of laziness sentiments which were supported by his Kitui counterpart Mutula Kilonzo Junior.
“In the next Senate more emphasis should be laid on physical sitting of the House because the hybrid one encourages a lot of laziness,” Murkomen said.
“I think we went into comfort zones all of us and I think for the next three months that are left we should all make a commitment to attend physically in the chamber,” Kilonzo said.