CSs to Start Appearing in Parliament From April 4

Cabinet Secretaries will from next month start appearing in Parliament to answer MPs’ questions and explain the government’s agenda.

This follows an amendment to the Standing Orders.

The move will see the National Assembly send questions to CSs to prepare for responses.

National Assembly Clerk Samuel Njoroge said the House is now ready to receive the CSs to respond to various issues raised by lawmakers.

“The clerk can now send questions to ministries to give Cabinet secretaries a headroom to appear. The CSs will appear in the House after the recess,” he said.

“As of Thursday, we will give room for the commencement of the process so that we can send questions.”

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Last week MPs adopted a report by the committee on Procedure and House Rules amending Standing Order 25A.

CSs will be required to appear Wednesdays afternoon for three hours after the adoption of amendments to Standing Order 40.

The Standing Order provides that every Wednesday afternoon, Questions and Reports by Cabinet Secretaries shall have precedence over all other business for a period not exceeding three hours.

The clerk is now required to prepare and publish on the parliamentary website a tentative list of Cabinet secretaries scheduled to reply to questions.

He will provide reports to the House, a weekly programme showing the business of the House and a schedule of sittings of the various committees.