Members of Parliament have approved a motion that will see Parliament conduct some of its proceedings across various parts of the country as part of its efforts to bring the House closer to the people.
The MPs, in a motion proposed by the National Assembly’s committee on Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library, also endorsed a commitment to leverage on digital platforms to expand reach and take some of its proceedings to the grassroot.
Committee chairman Daniel Nanok, while moving the motion said social media can be used by Parliament for outreach.
“Social media platforms afford Parliament good outreach where Parliament can then broadcast itself and Kenyans get to know what business goes on in Parliament at any one time,” said Nanok who is also the Turkana West MP.
In its report, the committee underscored the growing importance of social media as a tool for communicating with the public, consulting on legislation, and promoting transparency.
“The Committee on Parliamentary Broadcasting and Library decided to bring this Motion to this House that we would expand the scope and the space of reach for the public and this scope is enabled by the digital platforms, the social media platforms,” Nanok said.
Lawmakers’ acknowledged that the current online presence of Parliament should be enhanced to reflect the breadth of their work, both in the House and in their constituencies.
According to Nanok, members need to harness the power of digital platforms to engage with their constituents directly by sharing information about their activities in their communities to foster greater trust and understanding of the legislative process.
The committee has made several recommendations to enhance Parliament’s online presence, including a comprehensive review of the Parliament of Kenya Social Media Policy to align with evolving digital trends.
Legislators also stressed the significance of public participation in the legislative process. The House acknowledged Article 34, 35 and 118 of the Constitution that provide for the freedom of the media and access to information respectively.
The involvement of the media in scrutinizing Parliamentary proceedings, parliamentary business in plenary and in-House Committees is fundamental to meeting the threshold of good governance.
“It is because of the importance of engaging the public in matters of legislation that Parliament in its wisdom started the PBU which was established in 2008. And there exists a contractual agreement between the PSC and KBC to broadcast Parliamentary business on a 12-hour per week arrangement, radio and TV,” said Hon. Nanok.
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