Senate passes change to rules allowing CSs to appear for plenary sessions
By Rawlings, April 11, 2023
The Senate has passed changes to House rules that will enable Cabinet Secretaries to appear before plenary sessions.
Senators passed the controversial amendments to the Standing Orders to allow the CSs to appear in person to respond to queries.
The amendments to the Rules and Procedures were passed on the floor of the House amid fierce opposition from the Azimio senators who accused Kenya Kwanza lawmakers of amending the constitution using standing orders.
Senate Majority Leader Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho) said that once they come from recess, the standing orders will allow the Cabinet Secretaries to answer questions on the floor of the House.
House procedure
“The CSs will start appearing from April 11, when we come from recess because our standing orders now allow them to appear,” said Cheruiyot.
The House’s Procedure and Rules committee report tabled in the House had proposed the amendments.
“A Cabinet Secretary shall appear in person on the day on which the respective question is listed for a response,” reads part of the report.
Currently, CSs answer questions from members through their respective standing committees.
However, Speaker Amason Kingi who chaired the committee and other three members out of the nine signed the report leaving the majority five.
Others who signed the report are senators Hillary Sigei (Bomet), Mohammed Abass (Wajir) and John Methu (Nyandarua).
Interestingly, Vice Chairman and deputy speaker Kathure Murungi (Meru), Veronica Maina (nominated), Catherine Mumma (nominated) and Beth Syengo (nominated) did not append their signature.
In the changes passed, a senator who wishes to address a question to a CS shall hand to the Clerk a written notification of the matter signed by the senator.
The clerk shall in turn submit the notification to the Speaker for approval.
“The Speaker may refuse to allow a request for a question unless that the matter may properly be discussed in the Senate,” reads the report.
The Clerk shall then prepare and submit a list of the questions to be asked to the relevant CS and the Senate Business Committee for scheduling in the Order Paper (business of the day).