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Members of Parliament are set to reconvene on Tuesday, July 23, following a brief recess, coinciding with scheduled anti-government protests. The MPs will return to a Parliament building that sustained substantial damage during a recent storming by protesters. This incident, occurring after the now-withdrawn Finance Bill 2024 was approved, resulted in property damages estimated at KES 95 million.
The areas most affected by the protests include leadership offices, security and perimeter fences, catering facilities, information systems, members’ lounges, and staff offices. Despite the extensive damage, a parliamentary source reported significant progress in repairs, indicating that the main Parliament Buildings “should be fairly ready” for the resumption of sittings.
The resumption of House sittings comes with a packed agenda. MPs are expected to vet the 11 Cabinet secretaries nominated by President William Ruto. The vetting process is a critical part of the second session’s activities, alongside the review and potential amendments to the Division Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and discussions and approvals of the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, 2024.
Another significant agenda item is the approval of the selection panel tasked with recruiting commissioners for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). Discussions will also cover Supplementary Budget Estimates 1 for the Financial Year 2024/2025 and a review of the Finance Committee’s report on the rejected Finance Bill, 2024.
Health-related legislation will be a focal point, including the Primary Healthcare Act, 2023, the Digital Health Act, 2023, and the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023. These laws have been suspended by the High Court, which has mandated Parliament to amend unconstitutional sections within 120 days. Failure to do so will result in the Acts being declared invalid.
Lawmakers will also consider the nomination of Patrick Amoth for the position of Director-General for Health. The vetting process by the joint health committee from both the National Assembly and the Senate is expected to be completed by mid-August.
The House is also under pressure to comply with a court order requiring amendments to specific sections of the Social Health Insurance Act deemed unconstitutional on July 12. If the amendments are not enacted within the stipulated 120 days, the Acts will be nullified.
