President Ruto to host lawmakers at State House
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua (left), President Dr William Ruto and Prime Cabinet Secretary nominee Musalia Mudavadi at State House in Nairobi on September 27, 2022, during the naming of Cabinet Secretaries.
What you need to know:
- The PG will firm up the leadership and membership of key committees, which will be integral in the approval of government policies and expenditure plans.
- Also up for discussion, Nation understands, is the government’s agenda in the House and the proposed Sh50 billion Hustler’s Fund.
- The Kenya Kwanza PG, the third since Dr Ruto was declared the winner of the August 9 presidential poll, will take two hours from 7:30 am to 9:30 am.
President William Ruto will this morning host a National Assembly Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting at State House for the lawmakers to firm up the leadership and membership of key committees, which will be integral in the approval of government policies and expenditure plans.
Also up for discussion, Nation understands, is the government’s agenda in the House and the proposed Sh50 billion Hustler’s Fund.
The Kenya Kwanza PG, the third since Dr Ruto was declared the winner of the August 9 presidential poll, will take two hours from 7:30 am to 9:30 am.
Kenya Kwanza allied parties with parliamentary representation are United Democratic Alliance (145), Amani National Congress and United Democratic Movement (eight), Ford Kenya (six), Pamoja African Alliance (three), Maendeleo Chap Chap and The Service Party (two), DP and Movement for Democracy and Growth (one MP each).
Kenya Kwanza MPs who spoke to Nation in confidence said they were invited to the meeting through a message from Majority Whip Sylvanus Osoro (South Mugirango).
House committees
The House is set to consider and adopt the list of members nominated to various House committees in the afternoon today as the House looks to get down to business after the August elections.
At the centre of the PG meeting is the failure to agree on who among the Kenya Kwanza MPs will chair four crucial House committees- Administration and National Security, Energy, Transport and Mining and Blue Economy. Elections for committee leadership are expected to be held next week.
It is also expected the President will be briefed on the performance of the Kenya Kwanza MPs in the House and strategies to improve their contribution in the House.
The Hustlers Fund is expected to be operational in December with the government allocating Sh50 billion annually to offer affordable credit to small and medium-sized businesses.
In 2013 and 2017, retired President Uhuru Kenyatta summoned a similar meeting at State House to plan for his agenda in parliament.
During the two separate meetings, the list of which member seats in which committee and who to chair which committee was endorsed. In 2017, former Nandi MP Alfred Keter and former Moiben MP went against the grain and got elected Labour and Agriculture Committee chairpersons respectively.
Marakwet MP Kangogo Bowen also got elected Environment Vice-Chairperson against the wishes of the party. The three were swiftly punished by being removed from the committees as the favoured candidates got the leadership positions.
This is notwithstanding that parliament is required to conduct its affairs free from executive influence. The Kenya parliament just like any other parliament within the commonwealth conducts its business through committees.
The House Standing Orders provide that the members of the committees of parliament as established by the Constitution shall elect their leadership.
Article 125 of the Constitution stipulates that either House of Parliament or any of its committees has the power to summon any person to appear before it for the purpose of giving evidence or providing information.
It goes on to say that a House of Parliament and any of its committees have the same powers as the High Court to enforce the attendance of witnesses and examine them on oath, affirmation or otherwise, to compel the production of documents and to issue a commission or request to examine witnesses abroad.
