Parliament is this week on Thursday expected to host President William Ruto for his second State of the Nation Address.
Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetang’ula made this communication before the House adjourned for the short recess. In addition, the Speaker told members that this will be a joint-sitting of the two Houses.
“I wish to inform the House that I have received a message from His Excellency the President conveying that he intends to deliver the 2023 State of the Nation address to Parliament,” the communication read in part.
The State of the Nation Address is delivered in accordance with Article 132 (1) of the Constitution which provides that the President will address a special sitting of Parliament once every year and at any other time.
Once every year, the President is also expected to report, in an address to the nation, all measures taken and the progress achieved in the realization of the national values, referred to in Article 10.
The Head of State is further expected to submit a report for debate to the National Assembly on the progress made in fulfilling the international obligations of the Republic.
This year’s address comes in the wake of the on-going bi-partisan talks between the ruling coalition Kenya Kwanza and the Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition, a process that was formally endorsed by the two Houses.
The 10-member dialogue team has for the last couple of months been deliberating on a five-point agenda comprising of outstanding Constitutional matters, electoral justice, entrenching funds into the Constitution, establishment and entrenchment of State offices and fidelity to Political Parties and coalitions and the law on multiparty democracy.
Another notable development that the President is likely to highlight is the petition by the National Security Council to Parliament to approve the deployment of Kenyan police officers on an UN-backed security mission to the Caribbean nation of Haiti.
According to communications read out in both the National Assembly and the Senate by the respective Speakers, the two Committees under whose purview matters security falls, are expected to consider the planned deployment and submit a report to the Houses for further consideration.
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