Wetangula warns Committee Chairpersons against skipping house sessions

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula has cautioned Parliamentary Committees Chairpersons and Vice Chairpersons that they risk losing their roles if they repeatedly skip House sessions.

Wetangula, who was addressing the National Assembly leadership retreat in Naivasha, said that he was committed to streamlining legislative processes and eliminating unnecessary delays in Parliamentary business.

He told Committee Chairpersons that they are the link between the executive and the legislature with Cabinet Secretaries appearing before them and questioning concerning various Ministries directed to the respective committees.

“As Chairpersons and Vice-Chairpersons of departmental, audit, appropriations and select committees, you hold positions of privilege, you receive additional compensation and enjoy travel privileges because you are leaders the least you can do in return is to consistently attend House sessions and actively push forward parliamentary agenda,” said Wetangula.

The Speaker said there are reports that some Committee Chairpersons are consistently absent from committee meetings and are essentially relinquishing their authority to their Vice-Chairpersons, only showing up to sign the attendance sheet or make a brief appearance on camera saying that should never be the case.

Further, Wetangula said he had reminded the Leaders of Majority and Minority to ensure committee chairpersons and vice-chairpersons to be at the forefront in attending plenary sessions and that there should never be quorum hitches.

The Speaker emphasized that parliamentary standing orders do not mandate a fixed debate duration for bills, allowing flexibility based on interest and the chair's discretion urging the committee leaders to maximize this flexibility by maintaining attendance and engaging actively to prevent delays in House business.

“The quality of legislation does not depend solely on the debate on the House floor, instead it is grounded in the quality of the bill’s draft, the thoroughness of public participation and committee work by the third reading, if committee chairs have rigorously examined the bill, consulted the stakeholders, and interrogated the bill’s proponents, any necessary amendments will have been addressed, ultimately shaping high-quality legislation,” said Wetangula.

The Speaker warned that any bill, motion or petition calling for response or debate by an absent Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, or Member of Parliament would immediately be set aside noting that is intended to foster greater accountability and efficiency in the handling of House business.

Wetang’ula expressed frustration over the frequent delays and dismissals of critical bills, motions, and public petitions due to the unavailability of the sponsoring members pointing out that issues raised by members of the public or other lawmakers often face significant delays or fail to proceed due to the absence of the members responsible for them.

As part of a reinforced procedural approach, the Speaker affirmed that moving forward, any private member’s bill, motion, or petition will be discarded if the relevant member is absent from the House without valid justification stating that it was essential to ensure a focused and effective legislative process and to reduce the current backlog.

“We have seen as the leadership and sometimes or at times according to the Whips’ reports to the Speaker, that a member is sponsoring a bill or motion week after week, yet when the matter is called, the member is nowhere to be found, thereby stalling the work of parliament,” said Wetangula.

He said that as the leadership they may need to reach an agreement to avoid piling up work for those who do not show up to advance their agendas and that the will consider dropping items that appear on the Order Paper two or three times if the responsible member is uninterested saying this way they will avoid creating a backlog of House business.

The Speaker emphasized that once a petition, bill, or motion is dropped due to a member’s absence, it is the member's responsibility to face their constituents such as teachers who may have sponsored them to parliament and explain why they were not in the House when the matter was called.

He clarified that this approach aims to prevent accumulating unnecessary work, not due to any failure in leadership but rather due to the negligence of certain members responsible for advancing this business asking members to spend more time in the house to be available when needed with the support of the whips.

Leader of the Majority Party Kimani Ichungwah, encouraged members, particularly committee chairs, to prioritize attending House sessions during the key hours between 2:30 PM and 4:00 PM telling them this is when the Speaker or presiding chair will allow them to speak at length, as there are usually fewer Members waiting to contribute.

“It is a prime opportunity for chairs to advance House business and truly showcase their work, this is also the ideal time to discuss bills, present committee reports, and process important documents. The Clerk and House Business Committee often schedule committee reports in this slot, following routine afternoon business and government bills,” said Ichungwah.

enyarangi@standardmedia.co.ke