The Prime Cabinet Secretary, Musalia Mudavadi has called for stronger collaboration between the Executive and Parliament to enhance efficiency in legislative business and improve service delivery to Kenyans.

In a message delivered by the Principal Secretary for the State Department for Parliamentary Affairs, CPA Aurelia Rono during the Senate Liaison Committee Retreat in Mombasa County, PCS Mudavadi emphasised the need to deepen institutional coordination, noting that the forum was critical in strengthening governance systems.

He observed that the engagement was timely for reviewing progress made in aligning parliamentary and executive functions, particularly in accelerating government legislative business.

“From the Executive’s perspective, this forum provides a platform to explore opportunities for coordination between the Executive and Parliament, with the aim of expediting the processing of government legislative business,” the message read.

Mudavadi referred to the Presidential Memorandum to Parliament dated 9 December 2022, which urged reforms to facilitate Cabinet Secretaries’ participation in parliamentary proceedings. He said that subsequent amendments to the Standing Orders had strengthened accountability mechanisms, including structured questioning of Cabinet Secretaries.

“Parliamentary questioning is paramount in advancing good governance, transparent leadership and the restoration of public trust,” he said, describing it as a cornerstone of democracy.

He further highlighted the role of the State Department for Parliamentary Affairs in coordinating the national legislative agenda, noting that a Parliamentary Liaison Framework had been developed to streamline engagement between Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and Parliament.

To strengthen responsiveness, he said MDAs had designated Parliamentary Liaison Officers, who continue to play a key role in facilitating communication between the two arms of government.

He urged the Chairpersons to view parliamentary liaison as more than a procedure appealing to them to rise above routine procedure and assume its rightful place as the central link that connects policy formulation with legislative scrutiny.

He called on Senators to prioritise key legislative proposals, noting that the remaining time before the General Election offers an opportunity to leave a lasting legacy.