Parliament hosts summit, State of Nation address

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula arrives in the chamber on 28, 2026. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

Parliament will suspend its regular sittings this week to host a global parliamentary summit and the State of the Nation Address.

In a communication to the House, Speaker Moses Wetang'ula said the Third Global Parliamentary Summit against Hunger and Malnutrition will build on the previous one held in Spain in 2018 and Chile in 2023.

"The summit will bring together more than 250 Members of Parliament from over 100 Parliaments, representatives of Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO), development partners, civil society, the private sector and other stakeholders," the Speaker informed the House.

It will also provide a platform for parliamentarians and key stakeholders to exchange experiences and strengthen legislative and oversight responses to food security and nutrition.

The Speaker said discussions at the summit will focus on realising the right to food, promoting access to healthy diets and advancing efficient, inclusive, resilient and sustainable agrifood systems.

According to the Speaker, the summit comes at a time when Parliaments across the world are grappling with the interconnected challenges of food insecurity, malnutrition, climate change, poverty and the sustainability of food production systems.

He noted that these challenges have a direct bearing on the lives and livelihoods of the people they represent.

"Hosting this global parliamentary gathering is an opportunity for the Parliament of Kenya to share our experiences and perspectives with other Parliaments, while strengthening parliamentary diplomacy and international cooperation on matters of mutual interest," said the Speaker.

The Speaker underscored the unique constitutional power held by lawmakers in eradicating food insecurity, noting that parliamentarians are directly responsible for appropriating resources, shaping policies, and enacting laws aimed at improving the livelihoods of citizens globally.

"We must eliminate hunger and malnutrition, and nobody is better positioned to do that than parliamentarians, who appropriate resources, define and approve policies, and legislate," he stated.

Leader of Majority Party Kimani Ichung’wah (Kikuyu) also communicated that the House would not sit on Tuesday to allow the Chamber to be used for the international summit scheduled for November 16 and 17.

He said the decision followed an earlier resolution by the House to adjust its calendar to accommodate the global parliamentary gathering, which will bring together legislators to discuss efforts to tackle hunger and malnutrition.

“Members may recall that the House passed a resolution to alter its calendar so as not to hold a sitting on Tuesday, November 17. This is in order to free up the chamber for hosting the third global parliamentary summit against hunger and aalnutrition on Monday, and Tuesday, 17th November 2026,” Ichung’wah said.

This year's hunger and malnutrition summit, seeks to strengthen parliamentary action against hunger and malnutrition and advance sustainable agrifood systems in support of the 2030 agenda for sustainable development.

The summit, themed "legislating for resilent agrifood systems and zero hunger in a changing climate is jointly organised by the Parliament of Kenya, FAO and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation.

At the same time, Ichung’wah said the National Assembly would also not hold its regular sitting on Wednesday, November 18, when President Ruto is expected to deliver the 14th State of the Nation address to a joint sitting of Parliament in the afternoon.

“In line with your communication earlier this afternoon, and with the intention by the President to deliver his 14th State of the Nation Address to a joint sitting of Parliament on Wednesday, November 18, in the afternoon, the House will not hold its regular sittings on that day,” he said.

The House will resume business on Thursday when MPs are expected to consider several pending legislative matters.

According to Ichung’wah, the agenda will include the Committee of the Whole House stage of the Trade Description Amendment Bill, 2026.

The House is also scheduled to resume debate on the second reading of the Investment and Export Promotion Authority Bill, 2026, and the Kenya Economic Zones Bill, 2026, should the bills not be concluded during the current sitting.

He said the two Bills could be deferred following a request by the chairperson of the relevant committee for more time to undertake consultations, a request the Speaker had indicated would be considered.

MPs are also expected to consider the Commission of Inquiry Amendment Bill, 2026, if debate on it is not concluded before the House adjourns.

The changes to the parliamentary calendar mean that the next regular sitting after the scheduled events will be on Thursday, November 19.