πππππππ ππππππ'πππ πππππ πππππ ππ πππππ πππππ πππππ πππππ πππππ π ππππ πππππππ
The Speaker of the National Assembly, Hon. (Dr.)Β Moses Wetang'ula met with the Multi-Party Chief Whips' Forum from the National Assembly of South Africa who paid him a courtesy call in his office at the Main Parliament Building. The delegation was led by Hon. Pemmy Majodina, MP, Chief Whip of the Majority Party (ANC).
The Multi-Party Chief Whip's Forum is in Kenya to benchmark and share best experiences from the Parliament of Kenya. The forum is also keen to acquaint itself with the workings of the National Assembly and how the party coalitions function within the framework of the Political Parties Act.
The Hon. Speaker welcomed them to Parliament and shared a brief history of the journey of the struggle for liberation in fighting for the independence of Parliament. "When I first came here in 1993, Parliament was an extension of the Office of the President. The President could recall and dissolve Parliament anytime," said Hon. Wetangβula.Β
Making remarks, Hon. Pemmy Majodina said one of the most notable differences between Kenya and South Africa is in the appointment of the entire Cabinet from outside Parliament. "In the Republic of South Africa, the President can only appoint a maximum of four Ministers from outside Parliament. The President and the Vice President appear quarterly before the National Assembly to respond to Members' questions as part of accountability measures", she said. .Β
The Speaker appreciated the cordial bilateral relationship with the Republic of South Africa. Given that Kenya and the Republic of South Africa subscribe to the Commonwealth system with regard to values and principles of governance, they have a lot to share.
"I encourage you to fraternise with our Members of Parliament and feel free to ask them questions that will make your study tour fruitful and you will also tell us what you do that we don't do," said the Speaker.Β
The Delegation compromised: Hon. Pemmy Majodina, Hon. Mmatala Boroto, Hon. Gerhardus Koornhof, Hon. Siviwe Gwarube, Hon. Steven Stewart, Hon. Nqabayomzi Kwankwa, and Hon. Ahmed Shaik- Emam.