The Parliament of Kenya is set to host the Sixth Annual African Network of Parliamentary Budget Offices (AN-PBO) Conference in Mombasa this month. The forum which is held in conjunction with the African Network of Parliamentary Budget Offices (AN-PBO) is expected to focus on experience sharing on how the power of the purse can be used effectively to tackle Africa’s development challenges. It also seeks to debate the future of Parliamentary Budget Offices (PBOs). It will be coordinated by the Parliamentary Budget Office. The event, which is set to be opened and presided over by the Speaker of the National…
Author: Silas Apollo
Public institutions will be required to submit annual reports to Parliament, providing comprehensive details on their adherence to diversity and equal opportunity standards, if a Bill seeking to promote diversity in the country is passed by MPs. The Public Service (Values and Principles) (Amendment) Bill, sponsored by North Imenti MP Rahim Dawood, seeks to ensure that all institutions in the public sector adhere to the Constitutional provisions and requirements of diversity and inclusion. It also aims to uphold the Constitutional provisions on representation and equal opportunities for all citizens. Dawood says that the proposed legislation focuses on promoting diversity in…
The Capital Markets Authority has defended its decision to approve the acquisition of shares by Guinness Plc in the East African Breweries Ltd in 2000, despite a public backlash. CMA chief executive officer Wyckliffe Shamiah told a Parliamentary Committee that the acquisition of additional shares at EABL by Guinness Plc was made within the relevant laws at the time. Shamiah had appeared before the Senate Standing Committee on Trade, Industrialization and Tourism to respond to a petition filed by a resident of Bomet County regarding what he believed was fraudulent shareholding activities and illegal acquisition of EABL. In his petition…
American Tower corporation, which leases key infrastructure to Telkom, alleges breach of contract and bdad faith Telecommunications company Telkom Kenya has once again found itself in the eye of the storm after the American Tower Company asked it to pay at least Sh650 million so that it can be reconnected to its telecommunication infrastructure. ATC Kenya chief executive officer Thomas Sonesson says that Telkom owned the company billions of shillings in arrears after it defaulted on some of its previous payments. This comes after Telkom Kenya failed to pay about Sh4 billion to ATC Kenya, forcing the telecommunications infrastructure owner…
The Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC) of the National Assembly has teamed up with the Electoral Law and Governance Institute for Africa (ELGIA) to work on comprehensive electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections. The committee, chaired by Tharaka MP George Gitonga Murugara, recently held a workshop organised by ELGIA to discuss key electoral legislations, establish a road map, and set timelines for the completion of electoral reforms. The workshop also explored the possibility of multi-sectoral participation to enhance inclusivity in the reform’s agenda. At the meeting, Murugara, expressed gratitude to ELGIA for organising the timely workshop. He…
Kenya currently has approximately 200,000 documented migrant workers in Saudi Arabia with at least 151,000 working as domestic workers. A total of 283 deaths have been reported among Kenyan migrant workers in the Gulf States over the last three years, particularly in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. This is according to Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore. Bore, in a statement to Parliament said that at least 185 Kenyan migrant workers lost their lives in Saudi Arabia, 45 in the UAE, and 53 in Qatar. The causes of death, the CS said, varied from illness…
The current situation in Kenya offers the chance for a rebirth of a strong opposition that the masses can get behind in keeping the government in check By Silas Apollo The opposition Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Alliance has, for a while, been leading protests and demonstrations against the President William Ruto-led Kenya Kwanza administration. The demonstrations began in March this year and were announced by ODM leader Raila Odinga to pressure the government to act on several demands tabled by the opposition, including a reduction in the high cost of living and the reversal of punitive taxes imposed on…
A Parliamentary Committee has raised the alarm over revelations that the State Department on Lands and Physical Planning has historical pending bills amounting to Sh18.236 billion. The National Assembly’s Committee on Lands made the discovery during a meeting with the principal secretary for the State Department on Lands and Physical Planning Nixon Korir regarding budget implementation and monitoring for the 2022/23 financial year. The committee chaired by North Mugirango MP Joash Nyamoko had summoned Korir to shed light on the financial performance by vote and programme from the lands department. MPs had also sought audience with the department on receipts,…
Most parts of the country including Nairobi are set to experience much warmer temperatures this week, according to the latest weather forecast report by the Kenya Meteorological Department. The Met department, in its seven-day forecast report for the period between August 8 to August 14, 2023, says that most regions in the country are likely to experience sunny intervals during most days. This will be a break from the chilly and cold mornings that have been the norm for most Kenyans for the better part of this month and in July. The department says that for regions in the highlands east…
Safaricom’s founding chief executive officer Michael Joseph has resigned from the board of the company. The Safaricom board, in a statement issued on Wednesday, said that Joseph had resigned to pursue and focus on other ventures in his life including continuing his current role as chairman of the Kenya Airways. Joseph served as the director at the board of Safaricom Plc. He resigned effective August 1, 2023, according to the statement released by Safaricom company secretary Kathryne Maundu. “The board announces the resignation of Michael Joseph as a director in the board of Safaricom PLC, with effect from August 1,…