Members of the National Assembly are this week set to debate a report on Kenya Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) with the government of Seychelles. The report from the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations which is at the second reading stage, recommends that the House approves the DCA signed between the two governments on July, 18, 2022. Committee Vice Chair Major (Rtd.) Bashir Abdullah, who moved the motion on adoption of the report, said the DCA would help entrench the already existing cooperation between the two countries, and open a new frontier to enhance Kenya’s Defence capabilities especially…
Author: Silas Apollo
The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives in the National Assembly has begun investigations into the conduct of two companies said to have been behind the importation of contaminated sugar into the country. The committee chaired by Embakasi North MP James Gakuya last week held meetings with Vinepack Limited and Assets & Cargo, the two companies implicated in the investigation surrounding condemned sugar that posed a significant health risk to Kenyans. During the meeting, Peter Mwangi, the director of Vinepack Limited, attempted to shed light on the company’s involvement in the controversial sugar importation. According to Mwangi,…
The government has disbursed about Sh47 billion to the National Government Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF), paving way for accelerated development programs in constituencies across the Country. The disbursed money was the balance for the 2022/23 Financial Year that was yet to be released to the 290 CDF accounts at the close of the Financial Year on June 30. The release is contained in the report by the National Government Constituencies Development Fund Board on status of receipts of disbursement as at July 7th, 2023. The report indicates that the government has released 100% NGCDF cash to the Constituencies for the…
If framed carefully, County Boundaries Bill, 2023 can provide a workable framework for the resolution of the disputes and procedure for the altercation of county boundaries. A report by the Senate shows that the House is currently faced with about 15 cases involving boundary disputes among various counties in the country. At least 15 counties are currently embroiled in fierce boundary disputes that have left death and destruction in their wake. Lawmakers of the counties affected by the disputes had sought the intervention of the Senate in the hope that it would help bring to an end the long-standing disputes…
The Senate Ad hoc Committee on the Proliferation of Religious Organisations will starting today hold a public forum to get views of members of the public on its mandate. The session in Nairobi targets members of the public who were unable to attend meetings of the committee which is also investigating the Shakahola killings involving controversial pastor Paul Mackenzie. During the sessions, members of the public are expected to submit their views on the issue of registration and regulation of religious institutions. The committee is expected to table its report to the House by July 26, 2023. The 11-member committee,…
Passport applications to take a maximum of seven days to process, Immigration PS assures, The government has acquired new printers to help facilitate the printing of passports after previous machines at the department of immigration broke down leading to a backlog at the department. Immigration principal secretary Juliuk Bitok now says that the delays which have been witnessed at the department in the last couple of weeks, will be a thing of the past after it received funds from the National Treasury to purchase the new printers. The new printers are expected to arrive in the country in about two…
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…
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…
