MPs start public hearing on privatisation, conflict bills
The National Assembly has opened public participation for two bills which form part of the conditions attached to the Sh139 billion soft loan secured from the World Bank. FILE PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NMG
The National Assembly has opened public participation for two bills which form part of the conditions attached to the Sh139 billion soft loan secured from the World Bank on May 30.
According to a notice from the National Assembly, Kenyans have until June 26 to submit comments on the Conflict of Interest Bill No.12 of 2023 and the Privatisation Bill No.22 of 2023.
The two bills have also been pivotal to Kenya’s recent financing engagements with the IMF.
Kenya tapped the World Bank loan for budget support earmarked for the financial year ending this month.
The loan came a week after the conclusion of the fifth review of the ongoing programme with the IMF that paved the way for an additional drawdown of Sh57.1 billion by the Exchequer.
The Privatisation Bill No. 22 of 2023 is also pivotal to the conditions attached to the programme with the IMF that provides for the restructuring of struggling State-owned enterprises, notably Kenya Power and Kenya Airways.
“In governance, the Development Policy Operation supports an important set of initiatives to promote objective decision making through the Conflict-of-Interest Bill, to streamline the State’s orderly exit from commercial investments through amending the State-Owned Enterprises Privatization Act,” the World Bank stated in its May 30 release following approval of the Sh139.0 billion loan.
“It will also be important to make inroads on the agenda to reform state-owned enterprises and stop the drain on budget resources stemming from, among others, Kenya Airways and Kenya Power and Lighting Company," the IMF said on May 23.
The Cabinet approved the Conflict of Interest Bill on February 28 as one of the steps aimed at addressing the challenges of private interests compromising public service delivery.
Among others, the bill says any public officer who accepts an offer outside employment shall within seven days disclose the acceptance in writing to the ethics commission.
