Gathoni Wamuchomba, the Githunguri Member of Parliament, has raised concerns over what she believes is the gradual erosion of parliamentary independence in Kenya.
Speaking during a television interview on Thursday, September 4, 2025, she expressed disappointment that the legislature has been turned into a rubber stamp for the presidency and other external interests.
Wamuchomba argued that Members of Parliament have been reduced to playing a passive role instead of representing their constituents with independence and courage.
The former Kiambu Woman Representative said that the current environment makes it impossible for legislators to freely push forward bills or motions that benefit ordinary Kenyans.
She claimed that any piece of legislation not aligned with the president’s agenda or interests stands little chance of being debated, let alone passed.
In her words, “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.”
Wamuchomba, who entered Parliament on a United Democratic Alliance ticket before shifting her loyalty to the Kenya Moja Alliance, described herself as a victim of this political setup.
She explained that several bills crafted to address issues affecting citizens at the grassroots have been shelved simply because they did not serve the needs of the Executive.
This, according to her, has made the institution lose its essence as a defender of public interests. “I don’t think Parliament is the right platform to advocate for people’s rights anymore,” she said, adding that the chamber now seems captured by forces outside the will of the people.
Her concerns reflect a wider frustration among lawmakers who feel that the legislature is no longer operating independently. Embakasi East MP Babu Owino shared similar views, noting that the problem is made worse by the Speaker of the National Assembly siding with the government of the day.
He argued that with the majority of MPs aligned with the presidency, any attempt to challenge the Executive is destined to fail. He gave the example of impeachment, saying that even though citizens may demand accountability, introducing such a motion is pointless in the current political environment.
“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. Somebody was asking me to take a bill to Parliament to impeach the President. I said I am not a talented time waster, you will take it for optics,” he remarked.
The statements from both Wamuchomba and Owino highlight the growing debate on whether Parliament can still act as an independent arm of government or if it has been swallowed by the interests of the presidency.
Their views point to a worrying trend where legislation is no longer driven by the needs of the people but by political alignments and power struggles.
For many Kenyans, these revelations raise questions about whether their representatives in Parliament truly have the freedom to represent them, or whether they are bound by party and state control at the expense of public interest.
