Parliament Review: Ruto offers hope in State of Nation address as Kawira survives ouster

The State of the Nation Address by President William Ruto to a joint sitting of the National Assembly and the Senate was the highlight of last week’s business in Parliament.

In his address, Ruto acknowledged the successes of his administration in delivering the Bottom-Up Economic Transformation Agenda one year after he assumed office.

In a speech that lasted slightly over an hour, Ruto sought to offer hope to a tired nation that is reeling under heavy taxation and a battered economy.

"On September 13, 2022, when I took office, I undertook to ensure the urgent transformation of our economy and to stop and reverse the negative trends of runaway unemployment, yawning inequality and widespread poverty which were denying Kenyans their dignity and extinguishing their dreams," he said at the start of his speech.

"...despite enormous challenges and tremendous difficulties, we have made encouraging progress in a positive direction."

President thanked lawmakers for enacting the four new laws that will anchor the implementation of the bottom-up approach to healthcare. They include the Primary Healthcare Act, the new Social Health Insurance Act, the Digital Health Act and the Facility Improvement Financing Act.

Fighting graft

To fight graft, wastage, inefficiency and negligence in the country, the President asked Parliament to finalise the Assets Declaration and Conflict of Interest Bill.

Approval of nomination of Ambassadors

Meanwhile, the National Assembly approved the nomination of 27 persons as Ambassadors, High Commissioners and Permanent Representatives of the Republic.

The House voted to adopt a Report of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations that had approved all the Ambassadorial nominees following the conclusion of the suitability hearings.

Committee Chair, Nelson Koech (Belgut)) who moved the Motion for adoption of the report said the nominees exhibited excellent mastery of diplomacy in different spheres that are strategic to the country's interests in the destinations they have been nominated for posting.

"All the nominees met the integrity threshold; demonstrated knowledge of topical, administrative and technical issues touching on the positions to which they had been nominated to serve," said Koech.

The 27 now await formal appointment by the President for posting to their respective destinations.

Mwangaza saved by Senate

At the Senate, Meru Governor Kawira Mwangaza emerged unscathed from a second impeachment bid in less than a year.

Senators rejected of all seven charges put forward by the Meru County Assembly Members (MCAs).

"The Senate has not upheld any of the impeachment charges and therefore the Senate has failed to remove Governor Kawira Mwangaza by impeachment and thus the governor continues to hold office,” Speaker Amason Kingi said.

Kawira faced charges ranging from misuse of county funds, nepotism, bullying to improper appointments.

Deployment of police officers to Haiti

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki on the other hand made a case for the deployment of police officers to Haiti before a joint parliamentary committee.

The peace mission is geared towards restoring law and order and offering support to the Transitional Government of Haiti.

The CS who was accompanied by the Inspector General of Police Japhet Koome, told the National Assembly's Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security and the Senate Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations, that the mission aligns with Kenya’s national security interests and her resolve to foster global peace and stability.

Kenyan with a contingent of 1,000 officers is expected to take a lead role in coordinating the mission.

Some 11 countries among them Senegal, Burundi, Chad and a host of countries within the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) are set to join Kenya in the mission.