- Kenyan Members of Parliament have been assured of safety in their legislative chambers as they resume House sittings, following a 2-week recess.
- The primary focus is vetting the newly selected cabinet nominees, amid public outrage, while discussing the Supplementary Budget Estimates for the Financial Year 2024/2025.
- To also be tabled is the report of the Finance Committee on the rejected Finance Bill 2024.
- There have been calls for MPs to heed public opinion during the vetting, given the recent protests.
With the consequences of voting in favour of the finance bill still fresh, the question of whether MPs have learnt their lesson or will history repeat itself lingers.
Kenyan Members of Parliament have been assured of safety in their legislative chambers as they resume House sittings on July 22, 2024.
The primary focus is vetting the newly selected cabinet nominees while discussing the Supplementary Budget Estimates for the Financial Year 2024/2025. They will also table the report of the Finance Committee on the rejected Finance Bill 2024.
In a statement dated July 19, National Assembly Clerk Samuel Njoroge said that the turnout of events on June 25, 2024 when protesters stormed parliament buildings, has prompted a need to tighten security to ensure safety of MPs.
Plans to expedite a return to normalcy in the house have been implemented to allow MPS undertake their duties.
"Your security and safety at the workplace remain a key priority in these plans. As public servants, let us lean on our usual resilience, impartiality, professionalism, and solidarity to enable us to rebuild and continue serving the Nation and our institution with excellence," Samuel said.
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At the height of nationwide protests and the storming of parliament, MPs agreed to a two-week recess. The recess period also allowed for repairs to the sections of parliament that were destroyed.
Personell who ensured the security of MPs upon the invasion were highly commended by Njoroge who urged them to continue with the spirit.
"Allow me, in a special way, to single out our officers from the Directorate of Sergeant-at-Arms, the Directorate of Security and Safety Services and the Department of Hospitality Services, as we move forward from that unfortunate episode, I urge us to retain and enhance our spirit of fellowship and caring for each other," he added.
The new nominees have triggered public outrage, after the President picked six of them from the previous Cabinet he sacked a fortnight ago, following public pressure.
All eyes are on the 21–member vetting committee chaired by Moses Wetangula, which is to scrutinize the nominees. As the process is set to commence, the public, especially Gen Z, is not satisfied with the ‘recycling’ of previous Cabinet Secretaries into the newly selected.
The vetting process is expected to be thorough with MPs from opposition vowing to reject any nominee who fails to meet the integrity standards.
There have been calls for MPs to heed public opinion during the vetting, given the recent protests.
With the consequences of voting in favour of the finance bill still fresh, the question of whether MPs have learnt their lesson or will history repeat itself lingers.