House goes to Kilifi in September in the 'Senate Mashinani' tour

Speaker of the Senate Amason Kingi. [File Courtesy]

The Senate will hold its sittings in Kilifi County in September this year, a change from its normal sittings held at Parliament Buildings in Nairobi. 

According to the Senate Business Committee, chaired by Speaker Amason Kingi, the sittings, labelled Senate Mashinani, are meant to provide interlinkage between the national and county levels of government and enhance interaction between the Senate and counties. 

The Committee’s decision follows a resolution by the Senate made on March 8, 2023, to hold plenary and Committee sittings in the counties for one week within the month of September. 

“The Senate Mashinani is a means of bringing the Senate closer to the counties and the general public, where the House intends to have its sittings in one county per year so that Kenyans can better understand its role in supporting devolution,” Kingi said. 

The House has lined up various legislative activities in Kilifi County during the last week of September, besides the plenary, with the House Committees conducting their sittings across the county, allowing residents to actively engage in the legislative business. 

The Senate Committee activities in the coastal county will include oversight visits to local development projects, inspection of government programmes and public forums where citizens, civil society and local officials interact directly with senators. 

The House Business Committee noted that several successes have been realised as a result of holding earlier sittings in Uasin Gishu, Kitui, Turkana and Busia counties. 

Jeremiah Nyegenye, the Clerk to the Senate, said the objectives of such sittings are to promote the role and work of the Senate and enhance public awareness regarding the business of the Senate and Parliament in general.

Nyegenye said that the Senate Mashinani sittings seek to highlight existing and new opportunities for engagement in the legislative process, besides developing and strengthening partnerships at the county level of government.

“Senate Mashinani seeks to promote the work of the Senate and enhance public awareness regarding the business of the Senate and Parliament in general and highlight existing and new opportunities for engagement in the legislative process,” said Nyegenye.

He said the sittings provide an opportunity for members to learn and share with senators and parliamentary officers.