The National Assembly Special session scheduled for tomorrow has been canceled as the government printer had not gazetted the sitting for unclear reasons.
Speaker Justin Muturi argued in his message that Standing Order 38 requires the Order paper showing the business planned to be transacted by the House to be published at least 12 hours before the House meets.
“In light of the foregoing, this is to notify you that the special sittings of the house that was scheduled to tomorrow, Wednesday,13 July 2022 has been canceled .Any inconvenience caused to the House and the Members is highly regrettable,” Muturi stated
Muturi had earlier made the announcement in a notice last week following a request from the leader of the majority Amos Kimunya who was acting on presidential order.
They were also supposed to approve the Defence Cooperation Agreement between the Kenyan government and the governments of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Deputy President William Ruto’s team had spoken out against major provisions of the proposed law that will underpin President Uhuru Kenyatta’s showpiece project, the National Integrated Identity Management System (NIIMS).
The bill is among the items on the agenda for Muturi’s special session, which also includes consideration of the law releasing conditional funding to counties.
Azimio la Umoja Secretary-General Junet Mohamed stated that the Speaker’s notice published in local dailies last Friday has no legal basis.
“What is the point of convening the House for a special sitting to install a new Clerk with just days to elections and without a Gazette notice? Can’t it wait? They know that going by the current projections, we will have the numerical strength in the 13th Parliament and seek to have a friendly Clerk now while he is still the Speaker,” Mohamed said.
Minority Leader John Mbadi contended that the Speaker had recalled members improperly because a Special Sitting cannot be conducted without gazettement, as provided in the Standing Orders and House Procedures.