
National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has renewed his call for Members of Parliament to focus on issues that directly impact the economic and social well-being of Kenyans.
Speaking on Tuesday while chairing the House Business Committee, Wetang’ula urged leaders from both sides of the political divide to mobilise their members to actively participate in parliamentary proceedings.
The Committee had convened to set the legislative agenda for upcoming sessions following the resumption of sittings after a brief recess.
“The Committee resolved that, in scheduling business on the Order Paper, priority should be given to matters that directly impact the economic and social well-being of the people,” Wetang’ula said.
He further appealed to both the Majority and Minority Whips to encourage their members to engage actively in House debates, in line with their constitutional mandate of legislation, representation, and oversight.
The lawmakers had been on recess since July 2.
Regular sittings are scheduled to run until Thursday, August 14, after which Parliament will take a long break from August 15 to September 15.
Earlier this year, during a lawmakers’ retreat, Wetang’ula raised concern over persistent absenteeism, particularly in committee meetings, which he termed a major impediment to House business.
“I have heard of situations where committee chairpersons plead with members to attend meetings to meet quorum and then leave immediately after,” he said, reminding MPs of their responsibilities.
“Your duty as an MP is not just to create quorum for committee meetings but to actively participate in proceedings in line with laid-down requirements."
Wetang’ula emphasised that committees are the engines of parliamentary work and urged members to prioritise their activities.
“Attend meetings promptly to give your chairperson and the Secretariat ample time to focus on tackling matters before the committee, instead of making calls to MPs seeking quorum,” he said during the 2025 Mid-Term Retreat in Naivasha.