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{
    "id": 514361,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/514361/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 50,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Hon. Speaker",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "Clerks are “Officers of the House” and just as is the case with the House which cannot sit without the Clerks-at-the-Table, committees should not meet or transact any business without the secretariat. A committee meeting is, therefore, not complete in the absence of a committee clerk and secretariat and will, henceforth, be treated as an informal gathering or a Kamukunji . Committees are within their powers to exclude, on the other hand, any person or even the public from its proceedings for justifiable reasons pursuant to Article 118 and Standing Order No.254. But such exclusion however, does not apply to committee clerks who are part and parcel of the committee architecture. Third, on official communication, hon. Members, I have also noted with concern the manner in which committees conduct their official communication with Government institutions and other agencies, as well as the private sector. There is a growing and worrying trend where chairpersons write directly to Government officials on various issues before committees in total disregard of the official channels of communication. Some chairpersons and members of committees even summon Cabinet Secretaries, Heads of parastatals and other Government officials through phone calls and the media. I have addressed this matter in my previous Communications and I wish to reiterate that all correspondence from the National Assembly communicating House and/or committee resolutions must be through the hand of the Clerk and all official documents tabled before committees shall be under the custody of the Clerk. Committee chairpersons and members have no business in writing letters to Cabinet Secretaries on official businesses of committees or even in the storage of official documents before the committees. Fourth, on attendance of committee meetings, hon. Members, the attendance of committee sittings by members is important for an effective oversight committee. It has been brought to my attention that some committees are finding it extremely difficult to raise quorum within the required time as provided for in Standing Order No.185, which states as follows:- “Unless quorum is achieved within thirty minutes of the appointment time, a meeting of a committee of the House shall stand adjourned to such further time or day as the chairperson of the committee may appoint.” Committees are also unable to sustain quorum during deliberations of Bills, Sessional Papers, inquiries and Petitions before them. This has brought embarrassment and loss of dignity to committees and Parliament as a whole, especially when witnesses have been 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."
}