National Assembly Clerk Samuel Njoroge has urged departmental committees to expedite the processing of more than 200 pending legislative proposals.
Speaking at the start of the 2025 Mid-Term retreat by the National Assembly in Naivasha, Nakuru County, Mr Njoroge expressed concern over the backlog, calling it a worrying trend.
“I want to take this opportunity to urge chairpersons of the Committees to expedite the process of dealing with the legislative proposals drafted by Members and pending on their in trays,” said Mr Njoroge.
“All eyes are on the Committees in regards to clearing with the business that is pending before them,” he added.
The 2025 Mid-Term retreat, attended by all MPs of the 13th Parliament, was officially opened by National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula.
Njoroge commended first-time MPs for their legislative efforts, noting that they had introduced a significant number of Bills, Motions, and statements.
“First timer MPs have performed beyond expectations. They have been able to generate the majority of the legislative proposals. The National Assembly has not experienced this from newcomer legislators before and I commend them for this exemplary performance,” he said.
The Clerk encouraged long serving MPs to be ready to share their experiences with the new ones so as to sharpen their legislative skills as he urged the newcomers to be ready to learn from their seniors.
The Clerk noted that this was the first time the National Assembly held a Mid-Term retreat for all Members.
“In the past we have been holding retreats for Leadership of the National Assembly only but this year the Speaker instructed me to convene a meeting of all legislators,” he added.
He noted that he was certain that the retreat will provide an opportunity to Members to share experiences and challenges faced and chart the way forward and build synergy for effective delivery of their mandate.
House performance and pending business
Reviewing the National Assembly’s performance, Njoroge revealed that 149 Bills had been introduced in the last session, with 17 signed into law by the President. Seven Bills, five from the Senate and two from the National Assembly are in mediation.
Additionally, 19 Senate Bills were processed, while 11 National Assembly Bills were passed and forwarded to the Senate.
The Clerk reported that 161 motions were tabled, with 38 still pending, and 312 statements were processed in the House.
He noted that the Assembly approved 85 individuals for top state positions in the Kenya Kwanza administration, including Cabinet Secretaries, the Attorney General, the Inspector General of Police, and various diplomats.
Committee reconstitution and constitutional proposal
Njoroge noted that the term of 18 committees was ending, and the Speaker’s authorization was awaited to begin the reconstitution process. These include the Powers and Privileges, House Business, Members’ Welfare and Facilities committees, and 15 audit and appropriation committees.
He also disclosed that a constitutional proposal under consideration in the Fourth Session seeks to entrench key social funds, including the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF).
“The role of NG-CDF has been misunderstood. Parliament must demonstrate its impact on local communities to rebuild public confidence in the institution,” he said.
He noted with concern that the role of this Fund has been grossly misunderstood over time adding that the House needs to demonstrate that this and other similar funds touch the lives of Kenyans at the local level, thus driving change in the community.
“The House needs to convey the difference that these social funds make in the lives of Kenyans, rather than allowing a focus on the role of the Members of Parliament in it. This will go a long way towards rebuilding the image of the institution of Parliament in the eyes of the public,” he added.
