Nairobi, Kenya, March 9 – From March 23, the Cabinet Secretariat will appear on the floor of parliament to answer parliamentarians’ questions to ensure accountability.
Congress amended Section 25(A) of the Standing Order to require the Chief Cabinet Secretary to appear before the House of Representatives every Wednesday afternoon.
While moving the motion, Ugenya MP David Ochieng noted that the government has struggled to hold the executive branch accountable since the 2010 constitution.
“What would happen is that we would change it to a plenary session with CSs present every Wednesday and the majority leaders would let us know a week in advance who would be present and members would have the opportunity to ask follow-up questions. will be,” he said. He said.
Mr Ochieng further elaborated that several House committees are investigating related issues and that some committees are working on multiple purposes.
“The house would be richer if all members of the committee held CS accountable rather than some members of the committee would. Also avoid situations where CS is abdicating responsibility.” can.”
“It was difficult for the chairman of the committee to come and answer questions that were outside their authority,” he said.
Majority leader Kimani Ichungwa said the move is aimed at ensuring that the government of President William Ruto is held accountable to the common Mwananchi for their mandate.
“I would like to say that the CS must come before the People’s Representatives and be ready to answer questions valid from 23 March. We can allow follow-up questions, they need to be ready.”
“We now have a government that is not afraid to hold the people of Kenya accountable,” he said.
In changing the standing order, the Clerk of the National Assembly shall prepare and publish on the website of the Parliament a provisional list of Cabinet Secretaries which will answer questions and submit reports to the House of Commons. Schedules of meetings of various committees.
He will distribute such programs to Members, the State Department, and the media by the Friday of the week preceding such business.
For changes to Standing Order 42(c), the Member shall ask the question on the date scheduled on the Order Paper.
The leader of the majority party shall inform the House of Commons of the date, time and order in which the Cabinet Secretariat shall answer questions and present reports to the House and the Committee.
The Chair may, at the request of the leader of the majority party, change the order in which questions are discarded or postpone questions due to be answered.
Under previous standing orders, CS was only allowed to be questioned by parliamentary committees, and its exercises were run only by MPs selected by the committee.
In September 2022, President William Ruto said his government would give parliament free access to exercise its executive oversight role.
