The National Assembly is set to vet nominees for key positions in three Constitutional Commissions and two State Offices, following nominations by President William Ruto. Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula in a communication to MPs, said the House will interrogate the 21 nominees picked for positions at the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, the Commission on Administrative Justice, the Salaries and Remuneration Commission, the National Gender and Equality Commission and the Central Bank of Kenya. “Pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 42(1), I wish to report to the House that I have received five messages from His Excellency…
Author: Silas Apollo
Parliament is set to host President William Ruto for the 2024 State of the Nation address on Thursday. The Head of State is expected to deliver his third State of the Nation address to Parliament on Thursday, November 21, 2024. This is according to the speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula who made the communication to MPs last week. “I wish to inform the House that I have received a message from His Excellency the President conveying that he intends to deliver the 2024 State of the Nation address to Parliament,” Wetang’ula said. Speaker Wetang’ula further informed the House…
The newly appointed chairman of the board of the Independent Police Oversight Authority Ahmed Issack Hassan already has his work cut out for him when he assumes office. Hassan who is the former and the inaugural chairman of the independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, was nominated to the position by President William Ruto on Tuesday. If approved to the position, Hassan, will be tasked with the responsibility of investigating the conduct of the police, coming at a time when the police force has been facing criticism over excessive use of force, forced disappearances and abductions of civilians. IPOA at present…
ODM leader Raila Odinga will today formally begin his journey towards Africa’s politics with the unveiling of his candidature and manifesto for the chairmanship of the African Union Commission at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia. Odinga, who arrived at the AU headquarters in Addis Ababa on Thursday, said that he intends to formally and officially present his vision and mission for the AUC to the Permanent Representatives Committee of the AU as part of his ongoing campaigns for the seat. The unveiling of the vision and mission statement by Odinga, comes ahead of the elections to choose…
The journey towards reforming the sugar sector in the country has begun in earnest after President William Ruto formally signed the Sugar Bill into law. The Sugar Bill (National Assembly Bills No. 34 of 2022) seeks to revive the sugar sector by, among other things, enhancing growth, regulation and support for sugarcane farmers across the country. Sponsored by Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe and Bungoma senator David Wakoli, the Bill was considered and approved by both the National Assembly and the Senate in October this year. It seeks to provide a framework for the regulation, development and promotion of the sugar…
The plans by Nandi senator Samson Cherargei to extend term limits of the president and other elected leaders has suffered a major setback after a Senate committee rejected the proposal and called for its dismissal. The Senate Justice, Legal Affairs and Human Rights Committee recommended the rejection of the controversial Bill which seeks to extend the terms of elected officials from five to seven years. Committee chairman Hillary Wakili Sigei said that the voice of Kenyans had been overwhelming in rejecting the proposal and that the committee had no option but to call for the dismissal of the Bill. “The…
ODM leader Raila Odinga received another boost to his bid to become the next chairman of the African Union Commission after Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema announced his support for the candidacy of the opposition chief. President Hichilema made the announcement after a bilateral meeting with President William Ruto at the COMESA summit in Bujumbura, Burundi in October. The support of the Zambian leader comes just months before the AUC election scheduled for February 2025. The decision to support Mr Odinga, was made after Dr Ruto and President Hichilema reached a reciprocal agreement with Kenya pledging to endorse Zambia’s nominee, Dr…
The High Court has declined to issue conservatory orders to prevent the appointment of deputy president nominee Kithure Kindiki as the new Deputy President, replacing Rigathi Gachagua. A three-judge bench ruled that issuing the order would interfere with the functions and structures of the Constitution by envisioning vacancies in constitutional offices. High Court Judges Antony Mrima, Eric Ogola and Freda Mugambi in a ruling issued in October, declined to give orders stopping Prof Kindiki from assuming office, putting him on the cusp of becoming the third deputy president of Kenya under the Constitution. “The following orders are hereby issued. The…
Members of Parliament have called for swift government intervention to save Moi University from the financial and mismanagement woes that have rocked the institution for the past couple of months. This is after the National Assembly’s committee on education revealed what it said was the sorry state of the institution including university’s financial woes occasioned by mismanagement of funds, insolvency and a crippling wage bill. Committee chairman Julius Melly said that the situation has since forced the institution to seek urgent financial aid from the government. Lawmakers learnt that Moi University’s wage bill has ballooned to an unsustainable 88% of…
High Court judges hearing the impeachment case against impeached deputy president Rigathi Gachagua have rejected calls to vacate the case over allegations of conflict of interest. The three-judge bench of justices Eric Ogola, Anthony Mrima and Freda Mugambi, on Friday denied requests by lawyers representing Gachagua to recuse themselves from the case. The judges, instead asked lawyers representing Gachagua and those representing Parliament and other interested parties in the case, to file amended petitions ahead of the continuation of the case next week. They also set aside Tuesday next week, as the day for hearing and determining calls by Parliament…