Wamuchomba says independence of parliament has been drowned by powerful forces
By Valerian Khakayi, September 5, 2025Githunguri Member of Parliament (MP) Gathoni Wamuchomba has claimed that the parliament is losing its independence, asserting that the executive has taken over powerful interests.
Speaking during a live interview with a local TV station on Thursday night, September 4, 2025, Wamuchomba said that the Presidency and other external forces are now heavily influencing legislative processes.
The vocal lawmaker, in addition, lamented that MPs are no longer able to freely advocate for the interests of their constituents, as bills and motions are often influenced or even dropped in favour of the Executive’s.
“The independence of Parliament has been drowned by other forces and powers to the extent that a Bill will be dropped off the tray just because the Presidency is interested in a certain Bill,” she said.
Additionally, Wamuchomba added that parliament is no longer the right place to advocate for people’s rights.
“I don’t think Parliament is the right platform to advocate for people’s rights anymore,” she added.
Bills dropped off
She further disclosed that she is a victim of the dictatorship and bias in parliament.
According to her, several bills that she tabled in parliament have been dropped in favour of the bills that the presidency has an interest in.
“I am a victim in this parliament. I carried forward a bill from the previous parliament that was talking about providing for elderly persons. It went through the first reading, but my bill coincided with that period when we needed to pass the finance bill, and my bill was dropped through the whip of the majority,” she disclosed.
“I had a motion to debate about issues of the violation of women’s rights during childbirth, a very common violation that is happening in hospitals when women are delivering their babies. It has been on the order paper for the last one year.”
Parliament captured
It is worth noting that, apart from Wamuchomba, Embakasi East MP Babu Owino also raised concerns about the capture of Parliament by the Executive, stating that there is nothing MPs can do as long as the Speaker of the National Assembly sides with the government.
“In Parliament, there is nothing that you can do so long as the Speaker is in bed with the government, so long as the majority of members are in bed with the government,” Babu Owino claimed.