President William Ruto has banned the importation of maize and wheat into the country in a move that the government says is aimed at protecting local farmers from losses. The Head of State, in a statement said that no permits will be issued to millers to import wheat or maize into the country. Speaking after a meeting with leaders from Narok North constituency at State House, Ruto said that the importation of additional wheat and maize into the country would jeopardise local farmers. He added that the government will only deviate from the directive if the local produce is insufficient.…
Author: Silas Apollo
Sirisia MP John Walukhe (Sirisia) has moved a Bill that seeks to raise the pension due to former members of Parliament, who served between 1984 and 2001, to a minimum of Sh 100,000. The Parliamentary Pensions (Amendment) Bill 2023 is in line with one of the recommendations of the Akiwumi Tribunal which was appointed in January 2009, by the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) to review the terms and conditions of service for Members and employees of Parliament. “Some former members of Parliament are languishing in poverty and there is a need to take care of their welfare,” reads part of…
By Silas Apollo Early this year, the government announced plans to send at least one million skilled workers to foreign nations, paving the way for the mass exodus of qualified and highly skilled Kenyans from the country. The announcement, made by President William Ruto and supported by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection, was premised on what the government said is the need to increase diaspora remittances into the country. President Ruto also added that his administration was focused on creating employment opportunities for thousands of skilled but unemployed Kenyans through the initiative. In his address and public statements,…
The National Assembly has rejected proposals by the Kenya Rural Roads Authority to reduce projected funding ceilings for Constituency roads from 22% to 15%. The House also rejected proposals by KeRRA to reduce funding for critical roads from the current 10% to 6.8% in the 2024/25 and 2025/26 financial years. This follows a report tabled by the chairperson of the Committee on Transport and Infrastructure George Kariuki, that recommended the rejection of the proposed reductions. In the report, the committee argues that the communication made by KeRRA is inconsistent with Section 6 of the Kenya Roads Board Act, 1999 and…
The Central Bank of Kenya has projected a possible decline in the prices of basic and essential commodities such as maize flour whose retail price is expected to reduce towards the end of the year. The CBK in its latest Monetary Policy Statement, says that a survey of the agricultural sector indicated a possible reduction of prices of basic commodities, largely due to the anticipated bumper harvest by farmers. “The Survey of the agriculture sector conducted in the first half of September 2023 showed that the prices of key food items, particularly maize, were expected to decline further with the ongoing harvests…
The National Assembly’s departmental committee of Administration and Internal Security has begun the process of receiving views on a Bill that if enacted, will help make provisions for promotion of the mental wellness and wellbeing of police officers. The committee this week held sessions with the sponsor of the proposed Bill, Suna West MP Peter Masara, who urged the team to speed up the processing of the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) (Amendment) Bill, 2023. Masara, while appearing before the Gabriel Tongoyo-led Committee, put a strong case in favour of the proposed Bill, arguing that police officers in the country…
Ad hoc committee formed to probe the virtual tech company says Worldcoin breached the rules and laws governing the operations of a foreign company in Kenya and mined data illegally from unsuspecting citizens. The Parliamentary committee set up to investigate the activities of the controversial cryptocurrency company, Worldcoin, has called for the closure of the firm and all its activities in the country. The National Assembly’s ad hoc Committee, in its report tabled before the House, called on MPs to vote for a shutdown of the data mining company, effective immediately. In its recommendations, the committee argued that Worldcoin had…
Gilgil MP Martha Wangari has initiated a legislative process to empower the National Assembly to take up a more prominent role in processes preceding Treaty ratifications. The proposal called The Treaty Making and Ratification (Amendment) Bill, 2023 is before the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Affairs chaired by Belgut MP Nelson Koech for pre-publication scrutiny. Through the proposal, Wangari seeks to amend the Treaty Making and Ratification Act, 2012, to enable the National Assembly to consider and propose amendments to treaties before their ratification. Wangari argues that although the current Act empowers the National Assembly to participate in…
A shortage of technical staff is posing a challenge for the State Department for Public Works, the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Housing, Urban Planning, and Public Works has heard. The Principal Secretary, Joel Arumonyang, who appeared before the Committee chaired by Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ng’eno to shed light on affordable housing projects in the country, told members that the scarcity of technical personnel has created challenges in fulfilling the department’s responsibilities. “Despite the heavy workload, as a department we currently have less than 400 technical staff. The small number of architects, engineers, quantity surveyors, and other professionals has hampered…
The Council, chaired by the Chief Justice, wants the introduction of human rights friendly language, amendments to shift the burden of proof for the offences of incitement to violence and disobedience from accused persons to prosecution, and a repeal of petty offences. The National Council on the Administration of Justice has proposed new changes to the Penal Code that would see the introduction of human rights friendly languages, amendments to petty crimes and crimes of incitement to violence. NCAJ chaired by the Chief Justice and the President of the Supreme Court of Kenya, Lady Justice Martha Koome wants the amendments…
