- Government has in the recent past forced to withdraw controversial bills.
- MPs want ministries to conduct public sensitisation before taking bills to the House.
Image: HANDOUT
Parliament has fired a warning to ministries over what MPs term half-baked bills being abandoned in the august House.
National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah has accused state departments of neglecting their public sensitisation duty before sending bills to the House.
“Parliament cannot sensitise members of the public; it is the responsibility of the ministries that own the bills,” Ichung’wah said.
He said Parliament’s role in public participation is limited to receiving and processing feedback from the public after they have been adequately informed by the responsible ministries.
The Kikuyu MP said the half-baked bills have fuelled public anger against the government, especially after members of the public misinterpret the intent of the bills.
“Ministries author bills, send those bills to the House and then abandon them,” Ichung’wah said.
“They do not take time to sensitise members of the public on the policies underpinning those bills. When people read things and interpret them in their way-sometimes not very accurately-the misinformed members of the public use whatever has been published to incite others.”
Ichung’wah spoke on the day the National Assembly halted processing of the Livestock Bill, 2024, which was found inadequate.
The Bill, according to MPs, had significant public misgivings and inadequate input from the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock.
The proposed legislation that was at the first reading had received huge public outcry, with Kenyans complaining of lack of prior sensitisation.
The House Business in response to the outcry halted processing of the bill until the ministry addresses the glaring gaps.
“We have seen a lot of misinformation and disinformation being peddled online about this Livestock Bill,” Ichung’wah said.
“I have written to the Principal Secretary of the State Department of Livestock, asking them to conduct further public sensitisation on the bill and the policy underpinning it. Once this process is complete, we will await further guidance on whether the ministry wants to proceed with the bill in its current form or make changes based on public feedback.”
Going forward, Ichung’wah said he will not allow ministries to abandon bills in the House after failing without conducting due sensitisation.
The decision, he said, is meant to cure a situation like that of the withdrawn Finance Bill, 2024, that was faulted for not incorporating views of Kenyans.
Apart from the Finance Bill, Parliament has in the past backtracked on a number of controversial bills following public protests.
Ichung’wah was in June forced to withdraw the Land Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2023, which sought to have owners of freehold land within or close to urban areas pay an annual levy in addition to land rates.
In the same month, Mbeere North MP Geoffrey Ruku made a U-turn and withdrew his bill on regulation of demonstrations.
The Assembly and Demonstration Bill, 2024, proposed to tighten regulations on public demonstrations across Kenya.
The bill sought to grant extensive powers to law enforcement authorities to curb protests deemed disruptive to public order.
Among its provisions were stringent penalties, including fines of up to Sh100,000 and potential jail terms for violators.
The bill sparked widespread criticism and heated protests since its introduction last year.