Revenue sharing, Health Bill top MPs’ agenda as House resumes sittings

The National Assembly resumes its sittings this afternoon after one month recess with a full in-tray of business and bills which it must dispense with urgently.

Top on the agenda of the House are the Health (Amendment) Bill 2019, the audited financial accounts for State Corporations, the special report on procurement of pre-export verification of conformity to standard service for used motor vehicles and the Public Finance Management Bill.

The debate on the Health (Amendment) Bill 2019, which seeks to streamline the mechanisms for referral of patients to hospitals outside the country is set to be concluded today.

The bill also seeks to ensure that adequate measures are taken to establish whether the health facilities to which a patient is referred have adequate equipment and personnel.

“A public health facility that refers a patient to a hospital outside the country will be required to ensure adequate consultations are undertaken with the Kenyan mission in the country in which the referral is made, to establish the credibility of the health institution,” reads the Bill sponsored by Kesses MP Swarup Mishra.

Financial crisis

The House also resumes at a time counties are facing financial crisis following failure by the Senate to pass the revenue sharing formula.

Minority Leader John Mbadi has already given a notice of motion seeking to give the Treasury nod to release funds to the devolved units in line with the advisory given by the Attorney-General.

In the notice of motion, Mr Mbadi noted with concern that the delay in the passage of the County Allocation of Revenue Bill possess a great threat to counties in meeting its financial needs.

Mr Mbadi wants the motion to be fast-tracked to enable the Controller of Budget to authorise withdrawal of up to 50 percent from the Consolidated Fund based on the last County Allocation Revenue Act approved by Parliament.

Treasury CS Ukur Yatani has said his hands are tied by the law and cannot release any money to the counties.

The MPs are also set to look at the report by the Public Investment Committee (PIC) on its consideration of the Auditor-General's Reports on Financial Statements of State Corporations.

Besides, the House will consider a motion to discuss PIC special report on procurement of pre-export verification of conformity to standard service for used motor vehicles, mobile equipment and used spare parts by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs). 

The report was tabled last month before the House went for recess and it is now set for adoption or rejection.

The report wants Kebs managing director Bernard Njiraini held responsible for the saga surrounding the pre-export inspection of used motor vehicles coming to Kenya, for failing to seek the legal opinion from the AG in time, and giving misleading information regarding the tender.

The House team chaired by Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir also wants Mr Njiraini to take responsibility for failing to take advice of the committee that Kebs should withhold awarding of the contracts for the expanded tender to EAA Ltd and Auto-Terminal Japan until a special audit of the two firms by the Auditor-General is conducted.

Referendum Bill

The lawmakers will also Report of the Special Funds Accounts Committee on the Audited Financial Statements for the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF)

Also pending before the House are the Election Campaign Financing (Amendment) Bill, the Independent Electoral and Boundaries (Amendment) Bill and the Referendum Bill.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries (Amendment) Bill seeks to amend section 36 of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Act to guide the redrawing of electoral boundaries.

There is also a proposal to provide a mechanism for recruitment of new electoral commissioners. All these reforms are lagging behind schedule as concern mounts that parliament may wait until the last minute before passing the laws.

The Justice and Legal Affairs committee chaired by Kangema MP Muturi Kigano has already scheduled for a meeting this week to consider the IEBC issues and later present a report to the house.