Parliament building. Parliament plans to build an ultra-modern office block at an estimated cost of Sh5 billion to house the expanded 418-member legislature. Photo/File
Parliament plans to build an ultra-modern office block at an estimated cost of Sh5 billion to house the expanded 418-member legislature that will be in office after next year’s General Election.
The Clerk of the National Assembly, Patrick Gichohi, said construction work to begin in the financial year starting next month will take three years to complete.
“We have factored in the budget Sh500 million to start the works after the Treasury and the Parliamentary Service Commission gave approvals,” Mr Gichohi said.
Tenders will be floated as soon as the Ministry of Public Works concludes the designs. “For now we cannot tell the total cost of the construction but it will take substantial resources,” he said.
Recurrent expenditure
Estimates of recurrent and development expenditure of the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) for the next three years shows that a further Sh1.5 billion and Sh1.9 billion has been earmarked for construction of the office block.
The PSC, which is chaired by Speaker Kenneth Marende, presented a Sh18.1 billion budget to the Treasury out of which Sh13.9 billion will go towards recurrent expenditure and Sh4.2 billion for development.
“The estimates have considered provisions for Bicameral House and resources allocated accordingly for the planned activities.
"Resources have also been allocated for the anticipated structural and administrative realignments in the overall organisational structure in the Parliamentary Service,” said Marende in the budget estimates due for approval by the House this week.
The commission has also set aside Sh700 million for the refurbishment of the Old Chamber that will be converted into the Senate Chambers.
The proposed 26-storey building will be erected on a one-acre plot between Continental House and County Hall in Nairobi where MPs already have offices. The plot was allocated to Parliament by the government in 2000.
Mr Gichohi said the building will accommodate the bi-cameral parliament — the Senate and National Assembly — by creating additional committee rooms and other facilities.
“The expanded Parliament of 350 MPs and 68 Senators requires us to erect a building to provide them with working space,” Mr Gichohi said. Continental House which houses MPs offices was a bank.
In addition to the proposed building, the National Assembly plans to acquire Protection House from the Ministry of Housing at a cost of Sh1.2 billion.
Parliament already has leased offices in the building and has factored in the money to be directly transferred to the Ministry of Housing in the fiscal year starting July 1, 2012.
The commission will also spend a further Sh700 million to buy a yet to be identified building within the envisaged parliamentary square bound by Parliament Road, City Hall Way, Uhuru Highway and Haile Sellassie Avenue.
In its ten-year Strategic Plan stretching to 2018, the National Assembly plans to acquire buildings on Parliament Road and Uhuru Highway and terminating at Haile Selassie Avenue.
Refurbishment
The parliamentary commission has set aside Sh400 million for refurbishment of leased offices at Ukulima and Harambee House buildings which are located within the proposed parliamentary square.
According to its annual report for 2011 tabled in Parliament by PSC commissioner Olago Aluoch last week, another Sh700 million will be spent on the refurbishment of the Senate Chambers, commonly known as the Old Chamber.
The refurbishment of the new chamber, which commenced in 2010 at a cost of Sh960 million is nearly complete. The new chamber is currently being fitted with chairs supplied by the Prisons Department.
MPs are currently using the Old Chamber for debates and once they move into the new chamber, refurbishment of the old chamber will begin in readiness for the 68 member Senate.
Members to the Senate will be elected during the General Election scheduled for March 4, 2013.
The commission says that priority was being given to partitioning of offices at the main Parliament Buildings to create the Senate Wing and the National Assembly Wing.
Construction of radio and TV broadcasting studios was completed in 2011 and equipping of the same is ongoing.
Expansion
The commission also approved the development of a master plan for the Centre For Parliamentary Studies (CPST) based in Karen for which Sh300 million is earmarked.
Out of the amount, Sh200 million will be spent on buying land for expansion and Sh100 million on building offices and other physical structures.
