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{
    "id": 514358,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/514358/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 47,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Hon. Members, I have the following Communication to make regarding management of committees. Hon. Members, in the recent past, there has been concern on the manner in which committees are being managed and particularly by Chairpersons and hon. Members. It is on the basis of these concerns that I am issuing this Communication to address critical issues that affect the management and operations of committees. The importance of committees cannot be gainsaid and, as alluded to during the just concluded Leadership Retreat in Mombasa; committees serve as the reference point for legislation, oversight and involvement of the public in the affairs of the Legislature in the manner contemplated in the Constitution. It is the manner in which committees conduct their business that builds up or destroys the image of the Legislature. Management of committees, as you are aware, is vested in the Office of the Speaker and Liaison Committee in terms of Standing Order No.217 (2), the chairpersons of committees, Standing Order No.180 and the Office of the Clerk. The four offices, working in synergy, enable the operations of committees to run efficiently and effectively thereby ensuring that the House executes its legislative and oversight mandate as provided for under Article 95 of the Constitution. While the Speaker, Liaison Committee and the chairpersons of committees offer strategic leadership and direction, the Office of the Clerk is facilitative in nature and has, over the years, come to be regarded as the backbone of the committee system in all parliamentary democracies. In our case, the Office and the role of the Clerk is provided for under Article 128 of the Constitution, the Parliamentary Service Commission Act and the Powers and Privileges Act, as well as our own Standing Orders. Hon. Members, in day-to-day operations, committees are managed by committee clerks and other officers who give procedural advice to the committee, take minutes of the committee proceedings, receive and preserve documents on behalf of the committees and carry out other important logistical and administrative duties. The secretariat also assists in official communication, arranging appearance of witnesses and advising chairpersons and members on procedures in committees. In essence, the committee secretariat is responsible for coordinating the affairs of the committee and ensuring that the committee gets the needed support to be effective in discharging its mandate. The effectiveness of any oversight committee has, therefore, a bearing on the services provided by the committee secretariat and the synergy between the secretariat and the chairperson of the committee. I urge all chairpersons to accord the secretariat the necessary support in the discharge of their duties and, more importantly, in the application of the Standing Orders and the unwritten practices of the House. The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}