Keen to spare members the arduous process of initiating a new Bill from scratch, the House has exempted at least 22 pieces of legislation from lapsing as it proceeded to its long Christmas recess.
As the 13th Parliament draws to a close, if the Bills, some of which have been in the House since 2022, had been allowed to lapse, they would not have been considered before the end of this parliament's life.
The House's decision to save the Bills means that the proposed legislation will resume at the stage it reached when MPs return to sitting in February.
This decision is a huge relief for the sponsors of the Bills, who will not have to start the process again next year. This process has often discouraged members, leading them to abandon the bills altogether.
Among the Bills saved from lapsing is the Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which seeks to amend the Universities Act, Cap. 210, to provide a database in every college or university that will allow members of the public to verify the authenticity of documents issued by these institutions.
Mandera South MP Haro Abdul Ebrahim.
Photo credit: Francis Nderitu | Nation Media Group
Sponsored by Mandera South MP Abdul Haro, the Bill aims to save Kenyans from the inconvenience of having to physically verify their certificates.
Another education-related Bill that has been saved from lapsing is the Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which seeks to amend the Universities Act to end the practice of universities offering certificate and diploma courses.
If enacted into law, this Bill, sponsored by Embakasi Central MP Mejjadonk Benjamin Gathiru, will enable universities, as institutions of higher learning, to focus on degrees and postgraduate research.
The Bill stipulates that certificate and diploma courses will be limited to technical and vocational colleges, which is expected to boost enrolment at these institutions.
Also on the list of Bills saved from lapsing is the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Bill 2023, which aims to promote national public awareness of sexual offences.
If enacted into law, the Bill, which was sponsored by Kisii Woman Representative Doris Donya, would require the Cabinet Secretary responsible for education to establish programmes to safeguard, protect, and promote the right to education of victims of sexual offences, including victims of teenage pregnancies.
The Employment (Amendment) Bill 2023, sponsored by Kimilili MP Didmus Barasa, will not be reconsidered next year either.
The Bill also seeks to amend the provisions of the Employment Act (Cap. 266, in order to regulate the transfer of employees by employers from one place of work to another.
It also aims to clarify the conditions for transferring employees in good faith, in a fair and rational manner that benefits both employees and employers, and prevents demoralisation, dissatisfaction, and family disintegration.
Another Bill that has been saved from lapsing is the Fisheries Management and Development Bill 2023, which aims to establish a comprehensive legislative framework for developing, governing and investing in oceans and fisheries resources in line with the national development policy objectives set out in Vision 2030.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah.
Photo credit: File| Nation Media Group
Sponsored by the Leader of the Majority, Kimani Ichung'wah, it also seeks to align the governance of the fisheries sector with the Constitution of Kenya 2010, which calls for the sustainable use of our resources for the benefit of the Kenyan people, as well as with international and regional instruments governing global fisheries.
The Mining (Amendment) Bill 2023 seeks to amend the Mining Act Cap. 306, in order to provide for the separate implementation of the Act's three key functions: policy formulation; administration; and dispute resolution.
Currently, the Act combines policy formulation and interpretation, the day-to-day administration of the Act, and dispute resolution. This has led to implementation challenges and regulatory uncertainty in the mining sector.
The Bill therefore proposes the establishment of the Mining Regulatory Authority and the Mining Rights Tribunal.
Another Bill is the Environmental Professionals Institute of Kenya Bill, 2024, sponsored by Ndaragwa MP George Gachagua, which seeks to provide a legal framework for the establishment of the Environmental Professionals Institute of Kenya.
The Bill also aims to promote professionalism within the environmental sector and provide mechanisms for registering, licensing, regulating and developing environmental professionals.
The full list of Bills saved from lapsing
