The Senate, through the Senate Liaison Office, in partnership with the Westminster Foundation for Democracy (WFD), recently concluded a series of follow-up visits to ten County Assemblies including; Kisumu, Nyamira, Kisii, Vihiga, Kakamega, Migori, Homa Bay, Bungoma, Busia and Siaya between the 23rd and 27th of September, 2024.

These visits aimed to support the continued use and enhancement of the County Legislation Tracker (CLT) system, launched in October 2023 last year to streamline legislative processes and promote transparency across all 47 counties.

The Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare has intensified its investigation into the alleged job scam involving First Choice Recruitment and Consultancy Agency, ordering the arrest of its Director, Judy Chepchirchir.

The proposal for her arrest, made by Sen Alexander Mundigi (Embu), was seconded by Sen Mohammed Faki (Mombasa), who also recommended that the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) initiate criminal proceedings against Chepchirchir for defying the Committee’s summons.

The Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare has today imposed a fine of Kshs 500,000 on Isiolo Governor Abdi Ibrahim Hassan for ignoring summons to appear to address allegations of recruitment irregularities within his county government. The Committee has also directed the Inspector General of Police to arrest the Governor, in accordance with Section 19(3) of the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act, to enforce his appearance before the committee to provide the information requested by the Senate.

The Nyamira County Government, led by Governor Amos Nyaribo, faced intense scrutiny from the Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare following reports of irregular employment and inflated wage bill ratios far exceeding statutory limits.

The probe was triggered by Sen. Okongo Mogeni’s (Nyamira) remarks on the floor of the Senate, where he highlighted the County Government’s overspending on personnel emoluments. The Controller of Budget’s (CoB) report for the 2023/24 Financial Year indicated that the county’s wage bill stood at 55.2% of total revenue.

The Standing Committee on Devolution and Intergovernmental Relations, chaired by Wajir Senator Sheikh Mohamed Abass, had a busy agenda, handling multiple inquiries, processing several statements, and reviewing various Bills.

The Committee held 32 sittings, between April and August 2024, in which it addressed various activities related to its mandate.

Cabinet Secretary for National Treasury and Economic Planning, Hon. John Mbadi has told the Senate Committee on Roads, Transportation and Housing that Adani Airport Holdings Limited submitted a Privately Initiated Proposal (PIP) to KAA in line with Section 40(1) of the PPP Act, 2021 and paid USD 50,000 appraisal fee as set in law.

This was in relation to a PIP submitted to the Kenya Airports Authority (KAA) by Adani Airports for the development and expansion of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).