Cabinet Secretaries will start appearing in parliament to answer questions from Mps every Wednesday after a change was made on the Standing Orders.
According to House traditions and the National Assembly Standing Orders, the floor of the House has traditionally been reserved for only elected and nominated MPs. Non-elected members are restricted to appear in committees.
Standing Order 25A has now been changed to allow a Cabinet Secretary to explain government policies, reply to questions and provide reports before the house.
Standing Order 39 has also been amended to allow the Clerk of the House to circulate to members a list of Cabinet Secretaries scheduled to appear before parliament.
While moving the amendment motion on the house, Ugenya MP David Ochieng said the move will make CS’s more accountable.
“What will happen is that every Wednesday we will convert the House to plenary where CSs will be appearing, the majority leader will be telling us one week prior on who will be appearing, and members will have a chance to ask supplementary questions,” he said.
Majority leader Kimani Ichungwa said CS’s must be ready to answer questions to Kenyans.
“I want to say that CSs must now be ready to come before the people’s representatives and answer questions with effect from 23rd march, and the speaker can exercise his discretion and allow as many follow up questions as possible, they must come prepared,” he said.
