The Cabinet has approved the establishment of a special committee on pending bills. The Pending Bills Verification Committee will be tasked with the auditing of liabilities for the period between 2005 and 2022.
In a meeting chaired by President William Ruto at State House, the Cabinet noted that pending bills remains a sticky issue, with National Government pending bills since for the period under review standing at Sh481 billion, and Sh159.9 billion for counties.
The Committee will consist the Attorney General, the State Department of Roads, the State Department of Public Works, the State Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority. The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Law Society of Kenya, the Institute of Engineers of Kenya and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya will also be part of it.
The Committee will examine and submit interim reports to the Treasury Cabinet Secretary upon verification, with the Government committing to honour verified obligation. The move is aimed at establishing the integrity of all bills and cushioning small enterprises against liquidity inadequacies.
Crucially, the committee, which has a year to present its final report, will propose a mechanism to stop future pending bills.
Decentralised offices for AG, DoJ
Meanwhile, the Cabinet has approved the establishment of decentralised offices of the Attorney General (AG) and the Department of Justice (DoJ), to ensure that services are accessible to the people at the grassroots at a minimal cost.
Further, Cabinet consented to the transmission and introduction of Tribunals Bill, 2023, to Parliament. If enacted, the Bill will rationalise and regulate the administration and functions of Tribunals, establish the Tribunals Registry and ensure independence and impartiality in their operations.
Cabinet also discussed the importance of working with the private sector in the areas of Universal Healthcare, and voted to confirm the hosting of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Kenya to further the Government’s commitment to affordable and quality healthcare..
Other items discusssed included the status of the Digital Superhighway and digitalization of Government services, and the drought and food situation in the country.
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