The next couple of weeks is primed to be extremely busy for the Office of the Clerk of the National Assembly as the transition period into the 13th Parliament officially kicks off.
Since the National Assembly was automatically dissolved ahead of the August 9 General Election, the office of the Clerk, currently occupied by Serah Kioko in an acting capacity, took over the operations at the Parliament buildings.
On Friday, August 19, Kioko published a Gazette Noticed inviting all the elected Members of the National Assembly for a two-day orientation exercise scheduled to begin on Thursday, August 25.
Aside from conducting the orientation exercise and guiding the lawmakers during the oath-taking exercise, the clerk's division is more or less a glue that holds the Parliamentary activities intact.
The office handles duties in three-main categories including heading activities at the chambers, presiding over a new house, accounting as well as administrative.
"At the beginning of a new Parliament, the Clerk of the House presides over the House and administers oaths to newly elected members as the first order of business of the sitting. After which, the Clerk presides and conducts the election of the Speaker," reads a National Assembly fact sheet in part.
At the beginning of the new session after a major election, the Clerk also oversees the election of a new Speaker of the house from the vacancy advertisement to ballot papers preparation, presiding over the election and finally administering the Oath or Affirmation of Office to the Speaker in the presence of the assembled House.
Chamber roles
Once the term begins, the office of the clerk is also tasked with advising the Speaker in the running of chamber proceedings as well as organizing the order of business for each sitting day.
In the chamber, the clerk also certifies the passage of Bills through the House, records the actions and decisions of the House in a daily publication and assists with ceremonial occasions, such as the opening of the House and state of the nation address.
The clerk is also responsible for the financial operations and management of the National Assembly Service under the Parliamentary Service Commission.
Administrative Roles
As an administrative officer, the clerk manages all the staff of the National Assembly including appointment aspects and oversees the development and implementation of the Commission’s Strategic Plan and annual work plans for the Assembly to ensure the progressive realisation of the objectives of the Assembly and the Parliamentary Service Commission.
Other roles include managing external relations and official interactions with arms of government and serving as the Chairperson of the National Assembly Board of Management as well as a Member of the Board of Senior Management.
