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{
    "id": 1132925,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1132925/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 37,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
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    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Address to Parliament on Tuesday, 30th November 2021, His Excellency the President appealed to Parliament to expedite and conclude certain pieces of legislation and statutory instruments. They include: (i) The Government Contracts Bill. (ii) The Kenya National Blood Transfusion Bill. (iii) The Irrigation (Amendment) Bill. (iv) The Kenya National Library Service Bill. (v) The Huduma Bill. (vi) The Political Parties (Amendment) Bill. (vii) The Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering (Amendment) Bill. (viii) The Political Parties (Membership) Regulations, 2021. The first four Bills were passed by this House and are now pending in the Senate. Indeed, the President did urge Parliament to consider adjusting its calendar to ensure that all the critical legislation and legal instruments, including those relating to elections, are concluded in good time. Fortunately, this House had, in its wisdom, adjusted its Calendar so as to commence the Sixth Session on 25th January 2022 instead of the second week of February as required under Standing Order 27 regarding regular sessions of the House. This adjustment affords the House three extra weeks, which comfortably accommodates the President’s request. So as to ensure that the House concludes the priority business mentioned above, I will consult with the Leaders of the Majority Party and the Minority Party with respect to the dates for holding Special Sittings of the House, should the need arise, and the dates will be communicated to all Members. With regard to the processing of the Budget Policy Statement for the Financial Year 2022/2023, the onus is on the Budget and Appropriations Committee to guide the House accordingly. Hon. Members, as you may be aware, by practice of this House, certain business, particularly Questions and Statements ordinarily lapse at the end of every Session. However, I am cognisant of the unprecedented circumstances under which the House operated this year due to the COVID-19 disease. That meant committees held fewer sittings. Indeed, I am informed that more than half of the Questions asked and Statements requested by various Members are still pending before the relevant committees and have the fate of lapsing at the end of the Session. In this regard, I have been petitioned by various Members to authorise all pending Questions and Statements to be carried forward to the next Session. In considering the foregoing request, I observed that, unlike Questions for which committees simply obtain a response from the relevant ministries or Government agencies, some Statements ordinarily require a committee to conduct an examination or inquiry into the issues for response. Indeed, I have established that a number of committees had actually commenced inquiries into issues raised in the respective Requests for Statements under their consideration. Thereof, in order to guard committees from appearing to have commenced inquiries in vain, I will exceptionally permit Statements pending before committees to be carried forward to the Sixth Session and be dealt with upon resumption of the House next Session."
}