Parliament opens doors to the public in bid to demystify the legislature

Nairobi, Kenya: The 11th Parliament for the first time opened doors for the public to see what happens in the bicameral Houses.

Members of the public were allowed to access the National Assembly and the Senate chambers, which ordinarily are out of bounds for the public.

The Parliamentary Service Committee led by the chairperson, Justin Muturi, who is also the National Assembly Speaker, said they conceived the idea of having a parliamentary week, to connect Parliament to the public.

Mr Muturi said they were acting in accordance with the Constitution, which requires public participation in legislative processes.

Functions

“We are engaging the public today to have a feel of Parliament, to interrogate us and make the public understand better functions of the two Houses other than what is known to the public,” he said.

The Speaker also noted the need to engage the media and other key institutions more in their deliberations citing ‘confusion’ as depicted during a heated forum between the bicameral Houses and the public at the opening of the parliamentary week on Monday.

“We will open continuous communication channels between the media and parliamentary leadership to complement each other in a formal and respectful way,” he said.

He added, “It is clear from the discussion with the public on Monday that there is a misunderstanding on the concept of separation of powers in the three arms of Government.”

Muturi disclosed that Parliament intends to regularise such public outreaches throughout the country starting from the western to the eastern part of the country.

National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale said engaging the public would encourage citizen participation in issues affecting them hence improve national growth.

Mr Duale also said they were partnering with other African leaders to enhance good relations.