Law N 96/06 of January 18, 1996 amended by Law N 2008/001 of April 14, 2008 establishing the Constitution of the Republic of Cameroon, stipulates in its article 14, that legislative power is exercised by Parliament comprising of two chambers: National Assembly and the Senate.
This law established the decentralized character of the Cameroonian State, defines the legal regime and the general principles of decentralization.
In application of these constitutional provisions, three important laws were passed on July 22, 2004, including:
- Law 2004-017 of July 22, 2004 on the Orientation of Decentralization which defines decentralization as a transfer of particular skills and appropriate means to Decentralized Territorial Communities, by the State .
- Law No. 2004-018 establishing the rules applicable to Municipalities.
- Then Law No. 2004-019 setting the rules applicable to the Regions.
On November 12, 2008, the President of the Republic signed Decree No. 2008/376 on the administrative organization of the Republic of Cameroon, transforming the provinces into Regions, promoting the establishment of Regional Councils leading to Decentralized Territorial Communities.
The Senate, according to its institutional function, clearly represents the Decentralized Territorial Communities (Regions).
Cameroon, therefore, marked its first step in a Bicameral configuration on April 14, 2013 with the organization of elections for 70 Senators and the appointment of 30 others by the President of the Republic.
After the validation of the mandates of Senators by the Supreme Court sitting in as Constitutional Court, a provisional Bureau was established to manage the activities of the Upper House of Parliament consisting of 100 Senators with their accoutrements in the hemicycle at the Yaounde Conference Center.
On June 12, 2013, during a Plenary Session, Mr. NIAT NJIFENJI Marcel, was overwhelmingly elected first President of the Cameroonian Senate, while Mr. ABOUBAKARY ABDOULAYE, was massively elected as 1st Vice President of the Senate, followed by the elections of Members of the Bureau.
According to the Standing Orders of the Senate, an Administrative body was setup to manage the administrative activities of the Senate, marking the official beginning of the Cameroonian Upper House of Parliament.
The second Senatorial elections were held on March 25, 2018 and the results were announced on April 5, 2018. On May 4, 2018, Marcel NIAT NJIFENJI was re-elected President of the Senate with 89 votes against 7 invalid ballots.
The Senatorial elections marking the third legislature were held on March 12, 2023. After the election of the Senate Bureau Mr. Marcel NIAT NJIFENJI once again re-elected President of the Senate on April 19, 2023.