Parliament to Resume Amid Protests and Damage Repair

Members of Parliament will resume House sittings on Tuesday, July 23, following a short break, coinciding with planned anti-government protests.

Lawmakers will return to a Parliament building that has suffered significant damage after protesters stormed and desecrated the premises. The damage occurred after MPs approved the now-withdrawn Finance Bill 2024, with reports indicating that properties worth Kes.350 million were destroyed.

The most affected areas include the leadership offices, security and perimeter fence, catering facilities and information systems, members’ lounges, and staff offices.

A parliamentary source reported that there has been good progress with the repairs, and the main Parliament Buildings “should be fairly ready” as the House resumes its sittings.

The MPs are expected to vet the 11 Cabinet secretaries nominated by President William Ruto on Friday. Their agenda for the second part of the third session also includes reviewing the Division Revenue (Amendment) Bill, 2024, the County Allocation of Revenue Bill, 2024, and approving the selection panel for recruiting commissioners for the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC).

Additionally, they will discuss Supplementary Budget Estimates 1 for the Financial Year 2024/2025 and review the Finance Committee’s report on the rejected Finance Bill, 2024.

The session will also cover three health-related pieces of legislation: the Primary Healthcare Act, 2023, the Digital Health Act, 2023, and the Social Health Insurance Act, 2023.

The High Court has ordered the suspension of these laws and given Parliament 120 days to amend unconstitutional sections.

Furthermore, lawmakers will consider the nomination of Patrick Amoth for appointment as Director-General for Health. He will be vetted by the joint health committee from both the National Assembly and the Senate, with the process expected to conclude by mid-August.

The House faces a tight deadline to comply with a court order requiring amendments to the three health Acts. Specifically, they must address sections 26(5), 27(4), and 38 of the Social Health Insurance Act, which the High Court deemed unconstitutional on July 12.

If Parliament fails to re-enact the Acts within 120 days, they will be declared invalid, null, and void.

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