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Interior Cabinet secretary Kithure Kindiki will today be the first minister to appear on the floor of the House to directly respond to MPs’ questions.

Today’s tentative Order Paper indicates that Kindiki is expected to respond to three questions from MPs Martha Wangari (Gilgil), Abdul Haro (Mandera South) and Joseph Gitari (Kirinyaga Central).

“It is notified that, pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order 42A(6B), the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration will respond to the following Questions in plenary on Wednesday (afternoon), April 12, 2023,” reads the order paper for today afternoon.

Wangari’s question relates to shortage of birth registration materials (also known as B1 forms) in health facilities across the country while Haro’s query relates to the establishment of civil registration centres in every sub-county.

No delegation of duty

Gitari has two questions relating to outstanding warrants of arrest from Kagumo police post against a certain individual as well as the emergence of criminal gangs or terror groups in the country

The commencement of appearances of the CSs comes at a time when National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula is on record that neither Chief Administrative Secretaries (CAS) nor other government officials will be allowed to represent Cabinet secretaries in plenary when they start appearing today.

 “To the Cabinet Secretaries there will be no room for delegation of anybody to appear before this House to answer questions on their behalf. Each Cabinet secretary is obligated under the Constitution to come to the House in person and answer questions or expound policy in their docket in response to questions raised by Members,” Wetang’ula directed.

The move comes after the lawmakers adopted a report of the Committee on Procedure and House Rules that sought to amend 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 control.

Standing Orders are the rules and regulations that govern the conduct of House businesses and provide for establishment of various offices and their mandates.

“THAT, Standing Order 25A be amended by deleting paragraph (b) and substituting the following new paragraphs: a Cabinet secretary to expound on government policy, reply to questions and provide reports concerning matters under his or her control; other persons to make submissions or presentations before the House,” reads the amendments.

According to the new rules, a Member will be required to deliver a signed copy of the proposed question to the Clerk, who shall process it in line with the provisions of the Standing Orders before the final version is submitted to his office for approval.

“A Cabinet secretary shall provide both physical and electronic copies of the reply to a question, at least one day before the said appearance,” added Wetang’ula

Once questions are scheduled to be responded to, a Member shall ask his or her question on the day it is scheduled on the Order Paper.

The Speaker reiterated that questions shall be dispensed with in the sequence they appear in the Schedule of Questions to be appended to the Order Paper.

In the amended Standing Orders that took effect on March 23, Standing Order 40(3A) gives priority to questions and reports by Cabinet secretaries every Wednesday afternoon for a period not exceeding three hours.

Business schedule

In this regard, and to allow adequate time for Members to dispense with questions and compensate for the time set aside for questions during the sitting, the amended Standing Order 32 has varied hours of sitting on Wednesday afternoon from 7pm to 9pm. “For clarity, notwithstanding the provisions of Standing Order 30(2)(c), the House may adjourn at 7pm on Wednesdays during the afternoon sitting, in the event the House concludes the business scheduled for the sitting in addition to any questions scheduled for the reply,” he advised.

According to the amendment of Standing Order 25A(b), the Speaker has designated the place adjacent to the public servants’ bench on the right of the Speaker, as the appropriate place in the chamber where a Cabinet secretary shall expound on government policy, reply to questions and provide reports concerning matters under his or her control.