Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki will be the first to face MPs this afternoon to answer questions directly from the lawmakers on the floor of the House as the new Standing Orders take effect.
Four questions await Prof Kindiki with more follow-up questions expected from the MPs who have asked the questions.
The first question Prof Kindiki will deal with will be from Gilgil MP Martha Wangari who wants the CS to come clean on the shortage of birth registration materials also known as B1 forms in health facilities across the country.
Mandera South MP Abdul Haro, MP will be the second MP to come face to face with Interior CS as he seeks to know the steps made by the government on the establishment of civil registration centres in every sub-county in the country.
He said many Kenyans have to travel long distances to seek services from the available civil registration centres.
Prof Kindiki is also set to update the House on steps taken by the government to wipe out criminal gangs that are mushrooming in various parts of the country.
Emergence of criminal gangs
In this regard, Prof Kindiki will answer a question from Kirinyaga Central MP Joseph Gitari on the emergence of criminal gangs or groups affiliated with terror groups in the country.
Prof Kindiki will also answer a question from Mr Gitari on why a warrant of arrest for a certain individual whom he has not mentioned in his question has not been issued by the Kagumo police post.
Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula on Tuesday told MPs to come out and play their oversight role by utilising the opportunity to seek answers to critical questions from the respective Cabinet Secretaries.
In a bid to get more answers from various Cabinet Secretaries, Mr Wetangula said the House Business Committee (HBC) has resolved to have at least three CSs appear before the House every Wednesday afternoon.
“Every Wednesday will deal with at least nine questions covering different subjects in order to break the monotony with three or four Cabinet Secretaries depending on the number of questions appearing before the House,” Mr Wetangula said.
However, Mr Wetangula warned MPs against being personal with the CSs saying if a member feels a question has not been answered adequately, then it should be left at the discretion of the Speaker to determine the next course of action.
He said any MP who files a question and does not show up without giving a reason, the question will be dropped.
MPs to ask supplementary questions
Upon answering the questions, the Speaker will allow at least three other MPs to ask supplementary questions with priority being given to the leaders of the Majority and Minority.
According to the new Standing Orders passed by MPs last month, the cabinet secretaries will appear before the House every Wednesday from 2:30pm to 5:30pm to answer questions from MPs, expound on government policy and provide reports concerning matters under his or her control.
“A Cabinet Secretary shall provide physical and electronic copies of the reply to a Question at least a day before appearing before the House,” reads the new Standing Order 42 (c).
Currently, the CSs respond to queries through committees that then submit their findings or reports to the whole House.
This has often led to complaints by MPs who accuse committee chairpersons of delaying their responses and often shifting blame to the CSs when pushed to expound on answers.
The lawmakers amended Standing Order 42E (1) which currently requires a CS to answer a question after 30 days upon referral of the question to the respective committee.
In the new rules, the period has been reduced to 14 days.
The new Standing Orders stipulate that questions and reports by cabinet secretaries will have precedence over all other House business but for a period not exceeding three hours.
