The Justice and Legal Affairs Committee chaired by Hon. George Murugara (Tharaka) has received Legislative Proposals from Hon. Owen Baya (Kilifi North), on the Advocates (Amendment) Bill, 2023; and Hon. Wamboka Wanami (Bumula), on the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2023.

In the proposals, Hon. Baya, who is also the Deputy Leader of the Majority Party proposes to amend the Advocates Act, Cap. 16 by allowing citizens of Burundi and Rwanda to be eligible for admission as Advocates in Kenya. This, however,  is subject to them having the relevant professional and academic qualifications.

 According to Hon. Baya, this will strengthen the East African Community (EAC) spirit. He argues that citizens of other member States should be accorded equal treatment as Uganda and Tanzania.

 “The East African Treaty obligates the EAC to ensure that there is a standardization of their syllabi and in my previous presentation before the Budget Committee, the Council of Legal Education (CLE) had undertaken measures to ensure that there is harmonization of what is taught in Rwanda and Burundi. Kenyans are practicing in other countries within EAC, but Kenya has only opened doors to Uganda and Tanzania,” stated Hon. Baya.

Hon. Wanami Wamboka (Bumula) presented his proposals on the Political Parties (Amendment) Bill, 2023; which seeks to amend the Political Parties Act No. 11 of 2011, to provide for the establishment, functions, staffing and administration of the Offices of the Official Opposition Leader and the Office of the Deputy Opposition Leader.

According to Hon. Wamboka, the offices will promote active participation by individual citizens in political life including organizing civic education in democracy and other electoral processes; and influencing and shaping of public opinion on matters of good governance, democracy and electoral processes.

 The Bill seeks to amend section 25 of the principal Act by deleting and substituting a new subsection to provide for funding of the two offices from the Political Parties Fund.

 “We have a problem in the country. Going through the  constitutional way is going to take a lot of time. This proposed amendment, therefore, is meant to quell some of the tension that exists in the country,” Hon. Wanami said. 

 The Chairperson Hon. Murugara requested for further clarification on this proposal including the functions of the offices; whether they will conduct national or political functions; whether they will sit in Parliament or outside Parliament; whether they will use public money to run private functions; how issues of abuse of office will be handled, and how that can be married with the Constitution on how public money is spent.

 Hon. Wamboka promised to appear before the Committee again to provide all the required information.