NAIROBI, Kenya Apr 11 – Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki will on Wednesday afternoon be the first government official to appear before the National Assembly chambers to respond to members’ questions.
The Cabinet Secretaries’ appearance before the floor of the House follows the adoption of the report of the procedure and House Rules Committee that amended various sections of the Standing Orders to allow the ministers to physically appear before the House and answer questions from the public and MPs.
House Speaker Moses Wetangula disclosed that on average the House will be handling at least three Cabinet Secretaries.
“I encourage you members to be there to prosecute your questions and have your facts right so that you are not on a misadventure in the guise of the questions,” Wetangula told the members during the Tuesday afternoon sitting.
He noted that subject to the approval of the House Business Committee (HBC), the House will be handling an average of nine questions directed toward the respective Cabinet Secretaries.
Speaker Wetangula issued guidelines stating that the chamber will drop questions from members who do not provide reasons for their unavailability.
The House Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah disclosed that Kindiki will be responding to security-related issues raised by four members.
Gilgil Mp Martha Wangari’s question on the shortage of birth registration materials (also known as B1 forms) in health facilities across the country will be the first question that Kindiki will answer.
He will then answer the question by Mandera South MP Abdul Haro on the establishment of civil registration centers in every sub-county in the country.
The outstanding warrants of arrest from Kagumo Police Post against a certain individual as raised by Kirinyaga Central MP Joseph Gitari will be another matter on the tray for Kindiki.
He will finally answer the question by Gitari on the emergence of criminal gangs or groups affiliated with terror groups in the country.
The legislators amended Standing Order 25A to allow a Cabinet Secretary to expound on government policy, reply to questions and provide reports concerning matters under his or her docket.
According to the new Standing Orders, which took effect on March 22, the Cabinet secretaries will appear before the House every Wednesday from 2.30 pm to 5.30 pm to answer questions, expound on government policy and provide reports concerning matters under their control.
“A Cabinet Secretary shall provide physical and electronic copies of the reply to a question at least a day before appearing before the House,” reads the new Standing Order 42 (c).
CSs are required to appear before the House every Wednesday afternoon between 2:30 pm – 5:30 pm.
