Parliament is this week on Thursday expected to host President William Ruto for his second State of the Nation Address. Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula made this communication before the House adjourned for the short recess. In addition, the Speaker told members that this will be a joint-sitting of the two Houses. “I wish to inform the House that I have received a message from His Excellency the President conveying that he intends to deliver the 2023 State of the Nation address to Parliament,” the communication read in part. The State of the Nation Address is delivered in…
Author: Silas Apollo
The Kenya Medical Supply Agency (Kemsa) was once again in the eye of the storm this week, following revelations that it was yet to obtain ownership documents for several parcels of land that it owns across the country. The Authority was put on the spot by the select committee on implementation of the National Assembly following revelations that it had failed to adhere to resolutions passed by the previous Parliament to authenticate the pieces of land. The select committee chaired by Budalangi MP Raphael Wanjala, met officials of Kemsa to find out if the Authority had obtained the ownership documentations…
The government has announced plans to review allowances paid to civil servants and teachers working in hardship areas. Public Service, Performance and Delivery Management cabinet secretary Moses Kuria, while appearing before the Senate, said the move was geared towards promoting fairness and equity in the public service. While acknowledging the disparities that have existed in the payment of allowances to those working in hardship areas, Kuria said that a multi-agency team had been set up to look into the matter. The team, the CS said, will comprise representatives from the ministry of public service and gender, ministry of interior and…
Beleaguered Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza will face the full plenary of the Senate in the impeachment case against her by Meru MCAs after Senators voted to have the matter discussed on the floor instead of a select committee. The decision was reached after the majority wing of the House successfully countered the minority side’s attempt to have the case heard by a special committee of 11 members. Senate Speaker Jeffah Amason Kingi had earlier read out the charges against the impeached governor, paving the way for the start of her trial before the House for the second time. The governor…
By Silas Apollo At the start of the year, when the government proposed a new set of taxes on essential goods and commodities, the idea was to raise additional revenue for the exchequer. This move, the government argued, would help the country mitigate a financial crisis that had been occasioned by heavy borrowing and to reduce the country’s public debt stock. It was also aimed at helping the government generate more revenue to finance critical projects and deliver services to Kenyans. The new taxes, introduced through the controversial Finance Act of 2023, were billed as a necessity for a government…
This renewed push comes amid past challenges in implementing the two-thirds gender rule, with multiple attempts, including through the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI), facing setbacks. Members of the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association have agreed to adopt a bipartisan approach in their renewed effort to secure the elusive two-thirds gender requirement in both Houses of Parliament. The resolution was reached during a meeting convened by KEWOPA, where a joint position was developed for presentation to the Multi-Sectoral Working Group on the Two-Thirds Gender Principle. During the meeting, the women leaders led by Gilgil MP Martha Wangari emphasized the need for unity…
Legislators wants Parliament to establish a protocol that will give the military officers, irrespective of rank, a pass to board airplanes ahead of all other passengers in appreciation of their service to the country. A member of Parliament wants army and military officers serving in the Kenya Special forces and the Kenya Defence Forces given priority boarding protocols in local and international flights. Lamu East MP Ruweida Obo in a motion which has been tabled before the National Assembly, says that the move will be in appreciation of the service that the men and women in uniform give to the…
CA Board has kickstarted process following the exit of Ezra Chiloba who left the organization on accusations of mismanaging the staff mortgage scheme. The Communications Authority of Kenya has commenced the process of replacing former director general Ezra Chiloba who resigned this month following his suspension and subsequent resignation. The Authority, in an advertisement in the local dailies, said that it was in the process of looking for a suitable candidate for the position of director general and chief executive officer following the exit of Chiloba who left the organization after he was accused of mismanaging the staff mortgage scheme.…
The National Assembly’s departmental Committee of Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations has begun the vetting of the 27 persons nominated by President William Ruto to serve as Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Permanent Representatives of the Republic. The committee this week started the process by inviting four of the 27 nominees to appear before the team to respond to questions on their suitability and qualifications for the job. The four who appeared before the Committee on the first day of approval hearings were Jane Wairimu Ndurumo (Pretoria, South Africa), Isaac Keen Parashina (Abuja, Nigeria), Janet Mwawasi (Kigali, Rwanda) and Peter Munyiri…
Parents of school-going children will no longer be required to buy school uniforms from schools or select dealers, as has been the case before. This is after the Ministry of Education issued a directive prohibiting schools from prescribing uniform dealers to parents or compelling them to buy the uniforms directly from schools. Education cabinet secretary Ezekiel Machogu, while appearing before the National Assembly’s select committee on Implementation, said that his ministry had issued the directive to protect parents from exploitation. Machogu said that a circular had since been sent out to regional and county directors of education banning schools from…
