Two petitioners, Muyesu and Munase, want government spending stopped due to government’s failure to declare the country’s total debt obligation, making it difficult to ascertain the debt stock and authorise payments. Two petitioners have moved to court to block the implementation of the Appropriations Act, 2023, a move that could potentially limit the ability of the government to spend money to finance its operations. Lawyers Shadrack Muyesu and Klinsmann Munase, in a petition filed before High Court judge Lady Justice Mugure Thande, on Tuesday want the court to declare the Act unconstitutional, arguing that some of its provisions are against…
Author: Silas Apollo
Parliament is set to debate a Bill which seeks to bar the Public Service Commission and other government appointing authorities from engaging persons who have attained the age of 60 years into public service. The proposed Bill which is sponsored by Embakasi Central MP Mejjadonk Benjamin Gathiru wants an amendment to be done on the Public Service Act of 2023, by prescribing the retirement age of sixty years in the Act. He wants the amendment done on Section 80 of the Act. Gathiru had introduced the Bill in the 12th Parliament but it was not processed during that time hence…
The government has so far paid a total of Sh38.85 billion to persons who were displaced during the construction of the Standard Gauge Railway. This is according to documents tabled in Parliament by the Kenya Railways Corporation which said that the funds were disbursed to the affected families and individuals from the Railway Development Levy. Kenya Railways made the revelations while appearing before the National Assembly’s departmental Committee on Lands. The corporation argued that the process of paying and compensating those displaced and affected by the construction of the railway line, had been done over a period of time. Kenya…
Nakuru East MP David Gikaria has proposed to amend sections of the Penal Code that criminalize idleness and disorderliness to protect innocent Kenyans from police harassment. Parliament has begun debate on a proposed law that seeks to amend sections of the Penal Code to decriminalize idleness and disorderliness. The Bill sponsored by Nakuru Town East MP David Gikaria wants MPs in the National Assembly to repeal sections of the Penal Code to protect innocent Kenyans from harassment by the police. Gikaria through the Penal Code (Amendment) Bill (2022) argues that the current provisions in the code, were inconsistent with various…
The High Court has dismissed an appeal filed by Safaricom over a ruling that had compelled it to pay Sh452,868 to a customer whose mobile phone was stolen and money withdrawn from his M-Pesa account. The court, sitting in Nairobi, dismissed the appeal by Safaricom arguing that the company had the duty of care to protect its customers’ data and account details from breach by outsiders and third parties. In the judgment issued by High Court Judge A.N. Ongeri, the court disagreed with the arguments by Safaricom that it had done all that it could to prevent the loss of funds,…
Students who are unable to afford fees in colleges and universities in Kenya could soon have a cheaper way of earning degrees and diplomas after the National Assembly granted the approval for the establishment of Kenya’s first virtual university. The House, while debating a report tabled by a technical committee set up to establish the virtual university, said that the setting up of the institution will provide a better alternative to learners in the country. The MPs as a result, approved the preliminary charter for the Open University of Kenya (OUK), setting the stage for the admission of the first…
Members of county assemblies have been warned against flouting laws on procurement while making purchases in counties. This follows revelation by reports from the office of the Auditor-General that counties were losing millions of shillings every year due to a disregard of basic procurement laws by the county assemblies. The revelations, which were made public bare during a meeting held by the County Public Accounts Committee of the Senate, put on the spot a number of county assemblies, including Laikipia and Kakamega Assemblies, where MCAs were accused of disregarding the Public Audit Act as well as the Public Finance Management…
President William Ruto has identified at least five key areas which his administration says that it intends to focus on as part of the Kenya Kwanza government’s economic transformation plan for the country. A look at the budget for the 2023/24 Financial Year presented by the National Treasury in July, indicates that President Ruto’s administration wants to largely focus its attention on areas of infrastructure, agriculture, the social sector, governance and administration as well as on the environment to turn around the country. According to the budget policy statement presented by Treasury cabinet secretary Njuguna Ndung’u, these areas are set…
The processing of nearly 28 Bills which are at various stages in the Senate is part of the workload that awaits Senators when they resume session next week after a two-week recess. The recess which started on June 29, 2023 in accordance with the Senate calendar and which was approved by members, is scheduled to end on July 18, 2023. In a communication made to members by House Leader of Majority Aaron Cheruiyot, the resumption of the session will be preceded by a meeting of the Senate Business Committee (SBC) which will consider and approve the business for the week.…
The Senate has approved the formation of a special committee to help push for compensation for Kenyan victims of the 1998 bomb blast in Nairobi. The Senate Ad Hoc Committee on the Compensation to the Kenyan victims of the 1998 Bombing of the United States of America Embassy in Nairobi, was formed after members of the House approved a motion for its establishment. In a session held in the Senate Chamber, members of the House said that the nine-member Committee will pursue and accomplish the compensation of victims and families of the victims of Kenyan nationals by the United States…