NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 28 — Kenyans have until May 8 to submit their views on a proposed law seeking to bar former county governors from contesting parliamentary and county assembly seats.Senate Clerk Jeremiah Nyegenye announced that the Departmental Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights will hold a public hearing on Thursday, April 30, from 9 a.m.“Kenyans are encouraged to attend, present oral submissions, or submit written memoranda. Your voice matters in shaping the law. Participate. Engage. Be heard,” the Senate clerk said.The Constitution of Kenya (Amendment) Bill, 2023, sponsored by Kirinyaga Senator James Kamau Murango, seeks to amend Articles 99(2) and 193(2) of the Constitution to bar individuals who have served as county governors from vying for election as Members of Parliament or Members of County Assembly for five years immediately after completing their term.If adopted by Parliament and signed into law, the proposal would mean that governors serving their final term, as well as those in their first term who wish to transition to parliamentary politics, will not be eligible to contest in the 2027 General Election.Under the proposal, such individuals would only be eligible to run in 2032.Senator Murango argues that the amendment is intended to allow time for the conclusion of accountability processes that former governors may be subjected to.These processes include audits of county government financial accounts, whose outcomes often determine whether an individual is fit to hold public office.“In the course of their duties, county governors are required to account to county assemblies and the Senate for financial and administrative decisions made while in office,” reads part of the Bill’s Memorandum of Objects and Reasons.By law, governors must respond annually to audit queries prepared by the Office of the Auditor-General and submitted to the Senate and county assemblies for scrutiny in line with the Public Audit Act.The Senator further argues that if former governors are elected to county assemblies or the Senate, they could be in a position to influence the outcome of accountability processes against them.“Barring former county governors from vying for elections will allow for the completion of accountability processes related to county administration and financial management,” he said.He added that the Senate and county assemblies, in exercising oversight over county governments, are mandated to examine the actions and decisions of governors, whether they are still in office or have since left.