Uhuru set to address joint inaugural House session on Tuesday
Makueni Woman MP Rose Museo is sworn in on August 31, 2017. President Uhuru Kenyatta will Tuesday afternoon inaugurate the 12th Parliament, paving the way for the House to officially start transacting its business. FILE PHOTO | NMG
President Kenyatta appointed Tuesday, September 12, 2017 as the date the new House will convene to commence business.
Top on MPs and Executive agenda will be the approval of a supplementary budget for the conduct of a repeat presidential election
The House is expected to move quickly to constitute the various committees in order to prepare for any eventuality that may arise in the preparations for the conduct repeat poll.
President Uhuru Kenyatta will Tuesday afternoon inaugurate the 12th Parliament, paving the way for the bi-cameral House to officially start transacting its business.
In a special Kenya Gazette notice issued on Friday, President Kenyatta appointed Tuesday, September 12, 2017 as the date the new House will convene to commence business.
“Whenever a new House is elected, the President, by notice in the Gazette, shall appoint the place and date for the first sitting of the new House, which shall be not more than thirty days after the election,” Article 126(2) states.
MPs were elected on August 8 General Election and took their oath of office on August 31, 2017.
The 349 members of the National Assembly and the 67 Senators then elected their respective Speakers.
Top on MPs and Executive agenda will be the approval of a supplementary budget for the conduct of a repeat presidential election that the Supreme Court ordered after annulling the win of President Kenyatta.
The House is expected to move quickly to constitute the various committees in order to prepare for any eventuality that may arise in the preparations for the conduct repeat poll.
The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has set October 17 as the date for the repeat election.
The IEBC has sent a budget of between Sh8 billion and Sh13 billion to the Treasury for the conduct of the poll.
The MPs will have to quickly approve members appointed to sit in the various committees so that they get down to business.
In the Senate, the lawmakers will confirm the nomination of Tharaka Nithi senator Kithure Kindiki as the deputy speaker.
The Constitution mandates the President to address the opening of each newly elected Parliament.
“The President shall address the opening of each newly elected Parliament,” Article 132 of the Constitution states.
The supreme law also allows the President to address a special sitting of Parliament once every year and “may address Parliament at any other time.”
Mr Kenyatta, who is facing a second presidential election after the Supreme Court invalidated his win on August 8 General Election, will however find it difficult to use the occasion to lay his government legislative agenda for the next five years.
The president traditionally uses the inauguration of the House to set the government legislative agenda for the new term of office.
The Supreme Court ruled that Mr Kenyatta’s re-election was “invalid, null and void” because the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) did not conduct the polls in line with the Constitution and election laws.
Four judges of the highest court upheld the petition filed by opposition National Super Alliance (Nasa) presidential candidate Raila Odinga who called for nullification of the results.
Two judges returned a dissenting decision.
The court then ordered the IEBC to conduct a fresh presidential election within 60 days.
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Note: The results are not exact but very close to the actual.
