Members of Parliament are set to resume their sittings this month after the Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula issued a recall notice for a special sitting.
Wetangula, via a notice issued on Wednesday morning, January 8, stated that the sittings shall commence on January 16 at 10 am for the morning session and 2.30 pm for the afternoon session.
This comes after Majority Leader and Kikuyu Member of Parliament Kimani Ichung’wah made a special request for the same under the business order.
According to the notice, the lawmakers will be forced to cut short their holiday recess for the sessions to consider priority business that includes a special motion of the parliamentary committees on appointment for the consideration of nominees for the appointment as cabinet secretaries who were recently appointed by President William Ruto.
''It is hereby notified to all Members of the National Assembly and the general public that Thursday, January 16, 2025, has been appointed as a day for Special Sittings of the National Assembly. The Special Sittings will be held in the National Assembly Chamber, Main Parliament Buildings, Nairobi, commencing at 10.00 am and at 2.30 pm (for the Morning and Afternoon sittings, respectively),” read part of the notice.
''On January 3, 2025, I received and acceded to a request from the Leader of the Majority Party to appoint Thursday, 16th January 2025 as a day for Special Sittings of the National Assembly,'' it added.
The house is also expected to receive a tabled report and notice of motion on the mediated version of the County Governments Additional Allocations Bill (Senate Bill No. 19 of 2024) – subject to the conclusion of the mediation process.
According to the notice, the August House will also sit to consider a report that will be tabled by the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations on its consideration of nominees for various diplomatic jobs by the President.
''Tabling of Report and Notice of Special Motion on the Report of the Departmental Committee on Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations on its consideration of nominees for appointment as High Commissioners, Ambassadors, Permanent Representative and Consul-General,'' the notice added.
This comes after President Ruto made a shakeup to the Cabinet in December to bring key allies of former President Uhuru Kenyatta to the government.
The nominees for Cabinet Secretary positions include former Health CS Mutahi Kagwe, former Nakuru Governor Lee Kinyanjui, and former Kiambu Governor William Kabogo, who have been proposed to head the Agriculture, Trade, and Information dockets, respectively.
The nominees for appointment as High Commissioners, Ambassadors, Permanent Representatives, and Consul-General include former Cabinet Secretaries Andrew Karanja, Margaret Nyambura, Ababu Namwamba, and former Administration Police boss Noor Gabow, among others.
Departmental Committee on Labour will also table its consideration of nominees for appointment as Vice Chairperson and members of the Public Service Commission(PSC) and Salaries and Remuneration Commission(SRC).
The Startup Bill (Senate Bill No. 14 of 2022); and The Persons with Disabilities Bill (Senate Bill No. 7 of 2023) will also be discussed during the sessions.
