President Uhuru Kenyatta this morning led the country in paying respects to the Third President of the Republic of Kenya, the Late H.E. Emilio Mwai Kibaki, C.G.H., at Parliament buildings where he will lay-in-state for three days.

NAIROBI, 21st April - The Deputy Speaker of the Senate of Kenya, Sen (Prof) Margaret Kamar today hosted her Czech counterpart, Hon Jitka Seitlová where they explored avenues of deepening parliamentary engagement and strengthening areas of cooperation between their countries.

The meeting - attended by delegations of Senators from either side - was held at Parliament of Kenya's precincts, where discussions principally centred on climate change and conservation.

President Hon. Uhuru Kenyatta, today urged Parliamentarians from the Great Lakes Region,to come up with a comprehensive and achievable road map towards conflict resolution.

The President,in a speech read on his behalf by Interior Cabinet Secretary Hon.Fred Matiangi, during the official opening of the 12th ordinary session of the Plenary Assembly of the Forum of Parliaments of the Member State of the International Conference of the Great Lakes region (FP-ICGLR),reiterated the need for a conflict free region.

The Twelfth Ordinary Session of the Plenary Assembly of the Forum of Parliaments of the Member-States of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (FP-ICGLR) taking place in Nairobi from 2nd to 6th April, 2022,  commenced on a high note on Saturday 2^nd April 2022, with the joint meetings of the Statutory Committees on Humanitarian and Social Issues & Gender, Children and Vulnerable Persons.

NAIROBI, 31st March – The Senate has unanimously passed a Motion this afternoon, adopting the County Governments Grants Bill Report. With the approval of this agreed version of the Bill by both Houses, a legislative instrument shall allow county governments to access approximately KES. 39 billion in grants and loans from the national government and donors for the current financial year.

Critical resolutions made by the Mediation Committee include-

The 12th Ordinary Session of The Forum of Parliaments of the Member States of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region (FP-ICGLR) will be held in Nairobi, on April 2-6, 2022.

The conference is organized by the General Secretariat of the FP-ICGLR, in collaboration with the Parliament of the Republic of Kenya.

NAIROBI, 22 March - The Mediation Committee on the County Governments Grants Bill today met key stakeholders to deliberate on the contents of the Bill and end the stalemate that has so far locked out KES 39 bn in grants and loans from national government and development partners to the counties.

The Bill was published and passed by the Senate and transmitted to the National Assembly for concurrence. The National Assembly considered and passed the County Governments Grants Bill with amendments on 2nd December, 2021 which were subsequently rejected by the Senate.

MOMBASA, 10th March, 2022 - National Assembly, Judiciary hold consultative forum, agree to ringfence the JSC budget

The Proposal to ringfence the budgetary allocation for each arm of government in law today dominated a consultative forum between the National Assembly and the Judiciary. Members attending the forum noted that such a move could in the short term be made by amending the Public Finance Management Act, but in the long term be properly anchored in the JSC Act.

Thursday 17th February 2022 marked the beginning of a stronger partnership between the Senate and Council of Governors (COG) following an inaugural meeting between the two institutions. The Senate Liaison Office organised a courtesy visit by the CEO of COG, Ms Mary Mwiti, to the Clerk of the Senate/Secretary, Parliamentary Service Commission, Mr Jeremiah Nyegenye, to discuss ways to strengthen the collaboration between the two institutions.

NAIROBI, 21st February – The Senate Committee on Health has strongly condemned the alleged transfer of public land (LR No. 209/19441), previously occupied by Highridge Clinic, to a private developer.

Addressing the Press during the Committee’s site visit to the parcel of land where Highridge Clinic hitherto stood, members of the Committee led by Chairperson Sen Michael Mbito committed to a thorough inquiry. 

Devolution Committee chaired by Homabay  Senator Hon. Moses Kajwang  is investigating alleged illegal evictions of residents from Nairobi City County staff housing units in Pumwani and Eastleigh estates.

The National Assembly has this afternoon inked an agreement with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) geared towards streamlining data sharing between the two institutions.The signing event which took place at Parliament, saw the Clerk of the National Assembly, Mr. Michael Sialai and KNBS Director General, Mr. Macdonald George Obudho, sign an memorandum of understanding adding to the growing number of agreements that the Assembly has signed recently or in the process of formulating, to promote evidence-based legislation.

MOMBASA, 7th February - President Uhuru Kenyatta has today launched the national roll-out of Universal Healthcare Coverage (UHC) across the 47 counties. 

Speaking at Port Reitz Hospital in Changamwe, President Kenyatta stated that the passage of the NHIF (Amendment) Act was a milestone in Health Insurance. 

NAIROBI, 2 February – The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, through Cabinet Secretary Hon Simon Chelugui, has raised some reservations concerning the Employment (Amendment) Bill, 2021. He, however, observed that some of its provisions “will aid in bridging the gap in current labour laws.”

The amendment Bill, sponsored by Sen Samson Cherarkey, seeks to provide employees with the right to disconnect from employers outside prescribed working hours in the digital age and promote a healthy work-life balance. 

The National Assembly is scheduled to resume its Regular Sittings on Tuesday, 25th January, 2022 at 2.30 pm. This will mark the start of the Sixth and final Session of the 12th Parliament that commenced in August 2017. Notably and notwithstanding the provision of Standing Order 27 which provides that the regular Sessions of the House shall commence on the second Tuesday of February, the Sixth Session will commence 2 weeks prior, following the adoption of the Calendar of the House for 2022.

The National Assembly in Collaboration with the Kenya Forest Service, Ministry of Environment & Natural Resources,  the County Government of Kajiado, and the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints; today launched a Nationwide tree planting exercise with an aim of attaining the National Government’s target of achieving and maintaining over 10% tree cover by the year 2022.

NAIROBI, 1st December - Nairobi Senator Sen Johnson Sakaja has given Nairobi residents his assurances that the stalled Dandora Stadium will be completed before the 2022 General Election. 
Leading a delegation of the Senate Committee on Labour and Social Welfare, comprising Sen Susan Kihika (Nakuru) and Sen Millicent Omanga (Nairobi Delegation), Chairman Sakaja said that he’ll ensure pending works at the stadium are completed before the next polls.