Busia Senator-elect Okiya Omtatah has vowed not to abandon his active participation in public litigations after being elected to the Senate as he put the legislature and the executive on notice over implementation of repugnant laws.
Omtatah, an activist known for his penchant for litigating matters of public interest, has put the two houses, National Assembly and Senate, as well as the Executive on notice warning that he would not hesitate to drag them to court should any of them enact or operationalise a draconian law against the Constitution.
The activist says those who may be thinking that he would stop filing cases in courts to concentrate on his new role as a Senator are in for a rude shock as the new position has only “energised him more.”
“I will take on anybody…be it the President, National Assembly or the Senate. My greatest interest is to ensure that the country adheres to the rule of law,”Omtatah said during an interview in Nairobi on Saturday.
Before the 12th Parliament was dissolved, Omtatah had moved to court to stop the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) and the National Assembly from appointing the Clerk of the National Assembly of the 13th Parliament, a case that he says he will pursue to the end to ensure justice for all interested candidates.
Recalling a case he filed in 2019 challenging the house allowances given to MPs, urging the court to stop all payment to them arguing that it’s against the law, Omtatah says he will continue with the same trend even when inside Parliament itself.
Through Omtatah’s petition, the High Court directed Clerks of the National Assembly and the Senate to deduct the illegal allowance payments in full from each of the lawmakers’ salaries.
In Parliament, he says, he will actively sponsor motions and bills aimed at bettering the welfare of Kenyans as well as protecting their human rights while through the Judiciary, he will continue filing cases to stop anything that attempts to muscle the rule of law and constitutionalism.
“Kenyans should not be worried that I may stop taking cases to court because of being elected as a Senator. In fact, my election has just enhanced my position to agitate for public interests,”Omtatah says.
Omtatah promises to keep all arms of the government…legislature, executive and judiciary on their toes during his tenure in Parliament, stating that he would not hesitate to seek legal redress in the event of failing to achieve the results in parliament.