The Senate Speaker’s Roundtable is scheduled to begin this Wednesday, June 12, 2024, in Mombasa County, with Speaker Amason Jeffah Kingi, EGH, leading the Senate in an engagement with the Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA).

This platform between the business community and the Senate aims to facilitate a joint review of the policy and legislative environment in the country, identify crucial legislation for the private sector that needs to be reviewed or fast-tracked, and address gaps requiring new legislative interventions based on the country’s and private sector’s development priorities.

The Speaker’s Roundtable ensures that Parliament passes laws with input from the private sector, ensuring these laws have the desired impact on Kenya's business environment. It further enables the private sector to engage structurally with all Members of Parliament as they fulfill their legislative responsibilities, including the budget-making process, regular engagement with Standing Committees, and advising the Senate on technical issues across various economic sectors.

Initiated in 2019, this engagement has resulted in quality legislation in Kenya, with more Members of Parliament and County Assemblies recognizing the connection between legislation, business, and society.

Ahead of this year’s Roundtable, KEPSA held a leadership retreat with the Senate Liaison Committee to establish a collaborative partnership aimed at enhancing Kenya's business environment and supporting economic competitiveness.

Key resolutions made during the retreat included developing a Prompt Payment System for timely settlement of county government bills, reintroducing the County Governments Revenue Raising Process Bill to address multiple taxation, ensuring adequate funding for county policies and programs, building capacity for policy implementation, and forming a KEPSA-Senate Liaison Committee Working Group.

KEPSA, a body that brings together local and foreign business associations, chambers of commerce, professional bodies, corporates, multinational companies, start-ups, and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) from all sectors of the economy, representing over 1 million businesses under one umbrella, engages with all three arms of the Government of Kenya (Executive, Parliament, and Judiciary) to ensure a favorable environment for doing business in Kenya.

The theme of this year’s engagement, which is the sixth since its inception, is 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐄𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐂𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐡, 𝐉𝐨𝐛𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚.

Topics for discussion include improving the overall ease of doing business and competitiveness in the counties, promoting the manufacturing sector as a key driver of economic transformation and job creation, and addressing factors inhibiting agribusiness in counties.

The engagement will also focus on human capital development, business sustainability, and strengthening the Senate’s role as a shepherd for devolution and county competitiveness.

Speaker Amason Kingi, EGH, will officially open the engagement on Wednesday morning, with Deputy Speaker Sen. Kathuri Murungi and Mombasa County Senator Mohamed Faki among those addressing the gathering.

Clerk of the Senate and Secretary of the Parliamentary Service Commission, Mr. Jeremiah Nyegenye, KEPSA Board Chairperson Mr. Jas Bedi, and KEPSA Chief Executive Officer Ms. Carole Kariuki will also address the gathering during the official opening.