The National Assembly is back from recess to a full in-tray of matters to be dispensed including the approval hearings of the Inspector General of Police nominee Douglas Kanja.
Here is a list of the issues which will inform the better part of Wednesday, September 18, 2024, session of the National Assembly discussions.
Starting the day will be the first reading of the Environmental Professionals Institute of Kenya Bill of 2024 which seeks to register all environmental professionals in the country.
The bill sponsored by Ndaragwa MP George Gachagua also envisages regulation in the industry as well as professional development.
Parliament will also witness the first hearing of the Births and Deaths Registration Amendment Bill sponsored by Gilgil MP Martha Wangari.
The bill seeks to ensure that citizens across the country are able to access the registry in all 290 constituencies. Currently, there are only 158 birth and death registration offices in the country.
Consideration for the appointment of IG nominee Douglas Kanja will also feature prominently in the Assembly’s discussions. This comes after Kanja, a seasoned cop with nearly four decades in the service was cleared by the Senate Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations and the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Affairs.
Parliament proceedings
The Kenya Communication and Information Amendment Bill of 2022 will be on the floor of the house for a second reading.
The bill seeks to ensure that businesses operating a telecommunications service can engage in other businesses provided they ensure the separation of the said business from the telecommunications business.
The Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) amendment bill will be read for a second time in Parliament.
The bill by Machakos County Woman Representative Joyce Kamene seeks to ensure that students below the age of 18 receive financing for their education.
A motion by the Matungu constituency which seeks to ensure a national sensitization exercise is carried out to increase awareness of sickle-cell anaemia and haemophilia in newborns will also be discussed.
The motion also seeks to ensure a mandatory screening of newborns for sickle-cell and haemophilia to reduce the mortality rates of the estimated 14,000 children born with the diseases annually.
Aldai MP Marianne Kitany will be recommending that the Ministry of Information, Communication and Digital Economy formulate a policy framework to regulate the Artificial Intelligence industry in the country.
