First-term Members of Parliament (MPs) in Kenya's National Assembly have been commended for their outstanding performance in fulfilling their constitutional duties. 

According to the Clerk of the National Assembly, Samuel Njoroge, the new MPs have significantly outperformed their predecessors in legislative contributions.

"In the 13th Parliament, first-time Members introduced 31 out of 131 Legislative Proposals (23%) in the First Session (2022), 80 out of 197 proposals (40%) in the Second Session (2023), and 22 out of 74 proposals (30%) in the Third Session (2024)," Njoroge said.

The Clerk made the remarks during the opening of the mid-term retreat for Members of the National Assembly in Naivasha, Nakuru County. 

The five-day event, themed "Marshalling House Business: Progress Made This Far and Lessons Learned," aims to evaluate the lawmakers' performance in the first half of the current parliament.

Njoroge revealed   that first-term MPs have contributed significantly to legislative work, accounting for 35% of the 402 legislative proposals introduced so far since they were sworn into office in September 2022. 

 "This performance is highly commendable, with hopes for further growth in the next session," he said.

However, he raised concerns about the backlog of legislative proposals, with more than 200 still pending before the House.

 "The big number of unfinished legislative proposals poses a worrying trend," he noted.

 He urged committee chairpersons to expedite the process of reviewing and finalizing the pending proposals.

 "All eyes are on the Committees in regard to clearing the business that is pending before them," he added.

The retreat, officially opened by National Assembly Speaker Rt Hon (Dr) Moses Wetang'ula, also provided a platform for MPs to reflect on their achievements. 

Njoroge reported that 149 Bills were introduced in the last session, with 17 of them having been assented to by the President. 

Seven other Bills, including five from the Senate and two from the National Assembly, are undergoing mediation.

"Out of the 149 Bills, 19 Senate Bills were processed, and 11 National Assembly Bills were passed and forwarded to the Senate," Njoroge said. 

He also noted that 161 motions had been tabled in the National Assembly, with 38 still pending at the end of the session.