• Parliament is set to resume its normal business tomorrow amid tight safety measures aimed at containing the spread of the contagious coronavirus.
• House speakers Kenneth Lusaka (Senate) and Justin Muturi (National Assembly) postponed last week’s sittings after President Uhuru Kenyatta declared cessation in Nairobi.
Image: PSCU
Only 53 members of the National Assembly and 28 senators will be allowed in the debating chamber when the legislators reconvene on Tuesday.
These are among the tough safety measures announced by the House speakers to observe social distancing in a bid to contain the spread of the contagious Covid 19.
Speakers Kenneth Lusaka (Senate) and Justin Muturi (National Assembly) postponed last week’s sittings after President Uhuru Kenyatta declared cessation of movement in Nairobi.
MPs have a full in-tray as they are required to ratify laws and directives to help the government mitigate the effects of the coronavirus.
In the guidelines released by Muturi on Sunday, only the designated members will be allowed in the House. The directive locked out 296 members.
“As per paragraph two of the speaker’s guidelines of April 2, 2020, save for the designated seats, priority of allocation of the rest of the seats will be accorded only to members who have registered for the particular sitting,” read the guidelines.
He advised members desiring to attend the session to register with the clerk. The speaker also told members and staff aged 58 years and above or those with existing medical conditions to work from home.
While inside the chamber, members will stick to seats earmarked for them. They will also be required to wear masks at all times. Hand sanitiser shall be provided in designated areas within Parliament Buildings.
Similar rules will be applied in the Senate where stringent measures were introduced when the House resumed two weeks ago.
“We will still only allow 28 senators and they will not be replaced by anyone. There will be no movements in the chamber and the social distancing requirement must be observed,” Lusaka told the Star.
The senators will receive a progress report from the ad hoc committee appointed to oversight the National Emergency Response Committee on Covid 19 and come up with measures to cushion Kenyans against the health and economic effects of the pandemic.
They will also debate and approve the Division of Revenue Bill, 2020. The crucial Bill divides revenues generated nationally between the national and county governments.
Prompt Payment Bill, 2020, which seeks to have suppliers of government institutions paid promptly, and the County Resources Management Bill, 2020, will be introduced for first reading.
The leadership of the National Assembly says all is set for the sitting and members will be facilitated to attend.
Leader of Majority Aden Duale said the agenda of the special sitting, which was called off on April 8, will be the business.
Members will pass the Tax Laws Bill in all stages and deal with the Covid 19 Emergency Fund regulations, VAT regulations, and regulations by the Health ministry with measures to contain the virus.
The specific instruments the House will consider are the Public Health (Prevention, Control & Suppression of Covid 19) Rules, 2020, the Public Finance Management (Covid 19 Emergency Response Fund) Regulations, 2020 and the Value Added Tax (Amendment of the Rate of Tax) Order, 2020.
The others are the Public Order (State Curfew) Order, 2020, Public Health Act - Declaration of Notifiable Disease and the Public Health (Declaration of Formidable Disease) Order, 2020.
Duale said he would move a procedural motion on the calendar for a way forward following the virus emergency. The Garissa Township MP said the deliberation will be on whether members would sit once a week or the House is adjourned for another two weeks.
“The calendar of the House outside the special sittings framework is for members to decide.”
Speaker Justin Muturi is expected to pass to MPs a message by Treasury Cabinet Secretary Ukur Yatani on the nomination of the CDF board CEO.
The CS nominated the acting CEO Yusuf Mbuno to the post after MPs rejected his initial choice of Mohammed Abdille.
Parliament will also sit for the conveyance of any other messages from the Senate and President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration. There will also be a notice of motion for consideration of approval of Teachers Service Commission nominees.
MPs at the Education Committee rejected the nomination of Mbage Njuguna and Leila Abdi as TSC members. Their future rests on the outcome of the plenary vote.