The National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula directed that the quorum bell be rung on Tuesday, April 1, 2025, following the few numbers of Members of Parliament (MPs) in the chambers at the beginning of the session.

After the opening prayers, Wetang’ula rang the quorum bell as required by the standing orders of the house whenever there are fewer than 50 MPs in the house.

“Sergeant-at-arms, ring the quorum bell. Osoro, wapi wabunge?” Wetang’ula inquired.  (Where are the Members of Parliament?)

According to the standing orders, the speaker may direct the ringing of the quorum bell to alert MPs who may be lingering within the parliament’s precinct of the commencement of house business for not more than 15 minutes.

“If there is not a quorum present when the Chair is taken, at the time appointed for a meeting of the House, immediately after the saying of the prayer, the Speaker shall order the bell to be rung for ten minutes, and if no quorum is present at the expiration of the ten minutes,” the orders state.

“The Speaker may direct that the bell be rung for a further five minutes and if there is still no quorum present, the Speaker shall adjourn the House forthwith to the next sitting.”

Back from recess

The MPs are coming from a two-week recess, which started on March 14, 2025, and required them to be present in parliament on April 1, 2025.

With the first bell, however, the session was able to proceed after at least 50 MPs took their seats in parliament.

On April 4, 2025, the MPs, through their various committees, are expected to vet cabinet secretaries, permanent secretaries, ambassadors and consular generals who were recently nominated by President William Ruto.

Ruto is currently on a week-long tour of Mount Kenya’s nine counties of Kiambu, Murang’a, Nyeri, Laikipia, Nyandarua, Meru, Embu, Tharaka-Nithi and Kirinyaga, which have a total of 62 members of the National Assembly, excluding the nominated MPs.

It remains to be seen how the MPs will juggle accompanying Ruto during his week-long tour of the Mount Kenya region and settling down in the various committees to vet nominees for the various positions in government.

The Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security will commence the vetting of Ahmed Abdisalan Ibrahim for the role of PS for the State Department for National Government Coordination on Friday, April 4, 2025, at 10:00 am.

Others set for vetting on the same day are Stephen Isaboke for the position of PS for the State Department for Broadcasting & Telecommunications, Abdulrazak Shaukat, Health PS nominee Ouma Oluga, among others.