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Mzalendo Trust, a Parliament monitoring organisation has released the 2024 Parliamentary Scorecard, painting a vivid picture of parliamentary engagement in Kenya,
The report, which covers August 1, 2023 and November 7, 2024, identifies stark contrasts in performance among Members of Parliament (MPs) and Senators.
This year's analysis evaluates contributions on the floor, legislative priorities, attendance, and alignment with citizen expectations.
The performance is exclusively determined by the number of times individual MPs speak in Parliament (speech counts) and as captured in the Parliamentary Hansard.
The rankings cover only plenary proceedings, whose information is readily available to the public. All MPs in positions of parliamentary leadership, who by virtue of holding such positions have natural privileges, are exempted from the overall ranking.
Such privileges are manifested in their responsibilities that require them to inevitably speak as a matter of routine and requirement. Such positions include leaders of both Majority and Minority sides, Chairpersons of Committees, majority and minority whips and Members of the Speaker’s panel.
Top Performers: Most Vocal MPs
The scorecard highlights a group of MPs who have actively championed key issues, reflecting dedication to their legislative roles:
According to the report, none of the top performers were members of the UDA party which formed government in the 2022 General Election.
Funyula MP Wilberforce Oundo Ojiambo (ODM) was the most outspoken MP, making 103 contributions and addressing issues related to education, disaster management, and reproductive health.
Dagoretti North MP Beatrice Elachi (ODM) - With 98 contributions, Elachi advocated for reforms in the Competency-Based Curriculum (CBC), sugar industry legislation, and reproductive technology amendments.
Seme MP James Nyikal Wambura (ODM) - His 94 contributions spanned healthcare reforms, climate change policies, and police brutality discussions.
Kitui Central MP Makali Mulu (Wiper) - Known for his fiscal critique, he actively debated the Finance Bill and advocated for marginalized groups.
Eldas MP Adan Wehliye Keynan (Jubilee) - Focused on disaster relief and digital healthcare transformation, contributing 41 times.
Least Vocal MPs
The scorecard reveals something troubling, some MPs have been unusually quiet, raising doubts about how committed they are to representing the public.
Among the least active is Kapseret MP Oscar Sudi Kipchumba (UDA), who according to the report, made zero contributions in 2024, a recurring trend.
The silent MPs also include Paul Abuor (Rongo), Joseph Tonui (Kuresoi South), and Stephen Karani Wachira (Laikipia West) among others.
Table showing the least vocal MPs according to the 2024 Parliamentary Scorecard
Despite their silence, many non-vocal MPs participated in critical votes, such as on the Finance Bill 2024 and Affordable Housing Bill, raising questions about the depth of their engagement.
Senate
In the Senate, the most active Senators are, Senators Samson Cheragei (Nandi), Senator Eddy Gichuru (Migori), Senator Tabitha Mutinda (nominated), Senator Erick Mogeni (Nyamira) and Senator Gloria Orwoba (nominated).
The least active senators are Senators Issa Boy Juma (Kwale), Senator Betty Batuli (nominated), and Senator Shakilla Mohamed (nominated).
All these three Senators were absent in the voting of five key Bills in the House that were voted on by division voting.
These Bills include the Affordable Housing Bill, the Primary Healthcare Bill, the Social Health Insurance Bill, the Sugar Bill and the IEBC (Amendment) Bill.
The 2024 Parliamentary Scorecard serves as both a critique and a call to action, urging greater accountability and alignment with national priorities.