15th October 2021: Parliamentary Round Up

  • 15 Oct 2021
  • 4 Mins Read
  • 〜 by Amrit Labhuram

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY

Communication from the Chair

Speaker Justin Muturi notified the National Assembly about the passage of five Bills by the Senate:

  1. The County Governments Grants Bill (Senate Bill No 35 of 2021)
  2. The Mental Health (Amendment) Bill (Senate Bill No 28 of 2020)
  3. The Basic Education Bill (Senate Bill No. 4 of 2021)
  4. The County Licensing (Uniform Procedures) Bill (Senate Bill No. 22 of 2020)
  5. The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (Amendment) (Senate Bill No. 31 of 2020).
Petitions
  • Provision by NHIF of access to medical insurance cover by persons living with autoimmune diseases in Kenya reported by the Speaker on behalf of Mr. Mikeson Mugo, Ms. Faith Rotich and Ms. Wacera Maina
  • Malpractices  in  the  licensing of coffee marketers in the country presented by the Hon. Sabina Chege (Woman Rep, Murang’a County) on behalf of the National Coffee Co-operative Federation of Kenya
Papers
  • Reports of the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs on its consideration of:
    • The Waqf Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 73 of 2019).
    • Public petition by Mr. Francis Kimani Kanyora, Javan and Mr. Hilary Baraza regarding amendments to the Advocates Act to allow admission of legal practitioners from the Republics of Rwanda and Burundi to the role of advocates in Kenya.
  • Reports of the Departmental Committee on Finance and National Planning on its inquiry of the following:
    • Public petition No. 39 of 2021 regarding review of abnormal increments in prices and petroleum products in the country.
    • Public petition No. 40 of 2021 on a request to amend the Finance Act 2018 in order to address the drastic increase in prices of petroleum and petroleum products.
  • Report of the Auditor-General and financial statements in respect of the Capital Markets Authority for the year ended June 30,  2021.
  • Annual county governments budget implementation review report for the FY 2020/2021,
Motion
  • Members of the National Assembly rejected a report on a public petition regarding insecurity in Saku Constituency and the larger Marsabit County.
  • Hon. Wangwe moved a motion on further changes to Parliamentary Committee membership. The motion was approved.
  • Hon. Kareke Mbiuki moved a motion on the Sessional Paper No. 1 of 2021 on the National Water Policy.
  • Hon. Kamket Kassait moved a motion on the consideration of the Petroleum Development Levy (Amendment) Order 2021.
Questions
  • Hon. Godfrey Osotsi directed a question to the CS for Energy on why KPLC is operating without insurance of critical assets under public liability.
  • Hon.Aden Duale sought a statement from the Committee on Budget regarding the status of the public debt in Kenya and the National Government Budgetary Allocation for Development Programmes per county from the FY 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17 all the way to 2021/2022.
Bills
First Reading

The Children’s Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 38 of 2021)

The principal object of the Bill is to repeal the Children’s Act 2001, to provide parental responsibility, fostering, adoption, custody, maintenance, guardianship, care and protection of children, to make provision for children’s institutions and give effect to the Constitution of Kenya 2010.

The County Governments Grant Bill (Senate Bills No. 35 of 2021)

To make provision for the transfer of conditional allocations from national government share revenue and development partners to county governments for the financial year 2021/2022.

The Basic Education (Amendment) Bill (Senate Bill No. 4 of 2021)

This Bill seeks to amend the Basic Education Act to ensure that school going children in Kenya are provided with milk.

The Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2020 (Senate Bills No. 28 of 2020)

This Bill proposes to impose obligations on each level of government to address the issue of accessibility to mental health services.

The County Licensing (Uniform Procedures) Bill (Senate Bills No. 32 of 2020)

The principal objective of this bill is to put in place uniform procedures for licensing of various activities by counties.

The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (Amendment) Bill (Senate Bill No. 31 of 2020)

The principal object of this Bill is to amend sections 7 and 9 of the Salaries and Remuneration Act to provide for the notification of the expiry of the term for Commissioners in the Gazette. 

Second Reading

The Basic Education (Amendment) Bill (Senate Bill No. 4 of 2021)

Committee of the whole house

The Sugar Bill (National Assembly) Bill No.68 of 2019.

The Central Bank of Kenya  (Amendment) Bill (National Assembly Bill No. 10 of 2021).

 

SENATE

Statements
  • Sen.  Dullo sought a Statement from the standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations regarding the delay in issuance of national identity  cards to those who  have  attained  the  age  of  majority.
  • Sen. Mwaruma sought a Statement from the Standing Committee on Roads and Transportation on the delays experienced by  users  in  service  provision  by  the  National  Transport  Safety  Authority  (NTSA)  in counties.
Message

The Speaker of the National Assembly sent a message to the Senate regarding  the  passage  by  the  National  Assembly  of  the  National  Health Insurance Fund (Amendment) Bill (National Assembly Bill No.21 of 2021).

Motion

Adoption of the Report  of  the  Sessional  Committee on Delegated Legislation on the Public Finance Management (Equalization  Fund  Administration)  Regulations,  2021.

Papers Laid

The Annual County Government Implementation Review Report for the Financial Year 2020/2021.

Bills
Second Reading

The Health (Amendment) Bill 2020

The putting of the question was deferred to another date.

The Heritage and Museums Bill (Senate Bills No.22 of 2021)

The principal object of the Bill is, therefore, to repeal the National Museums and Heritage Act and enact a new Bill that conforms to the Constitution. The Bill proposes to retain the National Museums of Kenya already established under the National Museums and  Heritage  Act  2006;  provide  for  a  national  and  county  Museums;  provide  for  the preservation, protection and management of cultural and natural heritage at national and county levels of government; and, review the National Museums and Heritage Act 2006.

The County Boundaries Bill  (Senate Bills No. 20 of 2021)

The  putting  of  the  question  was  deferred to another date.

The Lifestyle Audit Bill (Senate Bill No. 36 of 2021)

The  main  objective  of  this Bill  is  to  put in place  a  legal  framework  for  undertaking  lifestyle audits  for  public  officers.  In  creating  the  framework,  the  Bill  seeks  to  incorporate  the values  and  principles  of  governance  under  Article  10  and  Chapter  6  of  the  Constitution into the public service.