The National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Housing, Urban Planning and Public Works today met to consider The Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill 2022.

The Bill seeks to make changes to various Statutes, in keeping with the practice of consolidating minor amendments that do not meet the merit of publication as separate Bills.

The Committee Chaired by Emurrua Dikir Member of Parliament, the Hon. Johana Ngeno considered amendments to The Architects and Quantity Surveyors Act (Cap. 525), and the Housing Act (Cap. 117). 

The Budget & Appropriations Committee (BAC) unanimously adopted a report on supplementary budget estimates for the Financial Year 2022/2023.

The Ndindi Nyoro led committee carried the report after a weeklong engagement with Departmental Committees on the 2022/23 Supplementary Estimates. 

The Committee reached the decision after thoroughly examining the re – allocations of funds done and the wish lists for additional funding by the Departmental Committees of the National Assembly.

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) wants the Government Advertising Agency (GAA)  to review its advertising model and to embrace one that ensures content reaches the majority.

The Committee said that the current model that gave preference to four mainstream print Media Houses was not effective as the advertisements were not reaching majority of targeted readers.

They said that key advertisements such as job opportunities were placed in the adverts and therefore should be accessible by job seekers who could not be able to buy newspapers.

The Committee on Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers has called on the Principal Secretary (PS), State Department of Diaspora Workers, Ms. Roseline Njogu to acclerate the institutionalization of the Diaspora as the 48th County.

The Members who were speaking during an engagement with the PS over the policies and programs in place for the protection and promotion of the welfare of Kenyans in the diaspora. The Committee noted that this move would not help safeguard the welfare of Kenyans living abroad, but would also guarantee some of their rights such as the right to vote. 

The Committee on Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers has called for the cancellation of licenses of recruiting agencies, and a fresh registration of the agencies once new regulations have been put in place. 

The Members were speaking this morning during an engagement with the Cabinet Secretary (CS) for Foreign and Diaspora Affairs , Dr. Alfred Mutua at the TradeMark hotel in Nairobi. 

The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection has revealed plans to start fresh vetting of agencies responsible for recruitment of Kenyan migrants workers afresh.

This is a bid to weed out rogue recruitment agencies and protect migrant workers from the rampant exploitation they have been undergoing .

While appearing before National Assembly departmental committee on Diaspora Affairs and Migrant Workers, the Cabinet Secretary for Labour, Hon. Florence Bore, disclosed that the sector is the leading source of remittance into the country  and thus should be streamlined.