Electoral laws, budget top House's business

The Electoral Amendment Bill, 2024 and the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) for the 2026/2027 financial year are some of the priority business that Parliament is expected to handle after it resumed plenary sittings this week.

The National Assembly resumed sittings on Tuesday with an overflowing in-tray of business which, if executed, will impact the electoral cycle and lay the ground for what is already shaping up to be a high-stakes 2027 contest.

The House is also expected to approve what will be the final budget for President William Ruto’s five-year tenure.

In his communication to the House, Speaker Moses Wetangula noted that the MPs are expected to kick-start the consideration of the Budget Policy Statement (BPS) and the related fiscal framework for the Financial Year 2026/27.

The BPS is a policy document that sets out the government’s priorities for the forthcoming financial year. It details the government’s fiscal objectives and the spending limits for the national and county governments ahead of the upcoming financial year.

“Given the anticipated electoral calendar, the House will be required to undertake this process with efficiency and diligence, with a view to concluding consideration of all budget-related matters by the end of March 2027, as noted by the Liaison Committee during its August recess retreat,” said Wetangula.

With respect to electoral reforms, the Speaker announced that he had referred proposals received from the IEBC to the Departmental Committee on Justice and Legal Affairs for consideration.

“The Committee is expected to review the proposals and recommend to the House any appropriate amendments for inclusion in the Elections (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill (Senate Bill No. 29 of 2024), which forms part of the priority business for this part of the Session,” he added.

According to data relayed by the National Assembly, MPs are also prioritising six key education Bills, including proposals on tertiary education funding, basic education, national assessments, teacher training, curriculum development and the national qualifications framework.

The Bills arose from the Presidential Working Party on Education Reform recommendations.

The Bills include the Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill, 2026, the Basic Education Bill, 2026, and the Kenya Institute of Curriculum Development (Amendment) Bill, 2026. Others are the Kenya National Education Assessment Council Bill, 2026, the Pre-Service Education and In-Service Training Bill, 2026, and the Kenya National Qualifications Framework (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

The Basic Education Bill, 2026, seeks to replace the existing legal framework governing basic education, with provisions covering school governance, financing, learner welfare, teacher management, quality assurance and education data.

The Tertiary Education, Placement and Funding Bill, 2026, seeks to establish a new framework for financing and placing students in universities and Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) institutions.

Under the proposed system, students would access loans to finance their education and repay them after completing their studies, reducing the direct tuition burden on parents.

The Education Committee is currently conducting public participation on the Bills, with the exercise expected to conclude by Friday this week.

The committee will then table its report on the public participation exercise, allowing the Bills to proceed to Second Reading and the Committee Stage.

The House is also faced with a packed legislative agenda ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Other than the BPS, lawmakers will also be considering the 2027/2028 Budget and related legislation and will seek to pass the Budget Estimates, Appropriation and Finance Bills before the end of March 2027.

In line with Article 132 of the Constitution, President William Ruto is expected to deliver his annual State of the Nation Address in November.

Ruto’s address is expected to highlight measures taken and progress achieved in the realisation of national values, progress made in fulfilling the international obligations of the Republic, and the state of security in the country.

Further, with the term of the 13th Parliament nearing its end, Parliament has commenced a review of the Standing Orders to be used in the 14th Parliament.

This, even as records by the House indicate that it has concluded over 90 per cent of its scheduled business. It shows that more than 100 pieces of legislation have been passed and enacted.

 “...As we commence this part of the Fifth Session, the House is expected to consider priority business, including matters currently under consideration by Committees. In view of the limited period remaining before the conclusion of the Session, the House and its Committees must prioritise pending legislative and oversight business to ensure its expeditious conclusion,” said Speaker Wetangula.

jthiongo@standardmedia.co.ke