Newly elected and returning Members and Senators at the Parliament of Kenya have strengthened their knowledge of parliamentary practice and procedure at a Post-Election Seminar co-hosted by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA) in Mombasa, Kenya, from 30 January to 2 February 2023.

The National Assembly and Senate conducted parallel training programmes, with Members and Senators learning from colleagues and experts across the Commonwealth in a range of discussions designed to examine the core elements of democratic governance. The theme of the seminar was ‘Equipping the 21st century legislator for effective service delivery’.

Opening the seminar, the President of the Republic of Kenya, H.E. Dr William S. Ruto, EGH, said:

“A democratic government is underpinned by a representative Assembly. The robustness of our democracy, effectiveness of government, viability of the state and the feasibility of development depend, to a considerable extent, to the existence and effective functioning of a strong Parliament.”

Reflecting on the position of Parliament within democratic systems of governance, CPA Secretary-General, Stephen Twigg added:

“Strong, independent Parliaments are vital, but their existence cannot be taken for granted. Legislation, oversight and holding the Executive to account are crucial functions of the Legislature. Another important role is to connect with citizens and civil society.”

The CPA Secretary-General also spoke to participants about the Commonwealth in the 21st century and updated Members and Senators on the work on the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association.

Rt Hon. Moses M. Wetangula, EGH, MP, Speaker of the National Assembly, reminded Members that:

“We come here to reaffirm our commitment to our Republic, to our democracy, to our constitutionalism, and above all, to our duty as Parliament to appreciate at all times that the centrality of our constitution are the people of Kenya, and it is the people of Kenya who we have taken an oath of office to serve.”

The Speaker of Senate, Rt Hon. Amason Kingi Jeffah, EGH, expressed the need to entrench the role of Parliamentarians in peace building in order to promote regional stability and stem conflict. He said:

“The dynamics of leadership and governance are fluid and continue to thrust upon us Parliamentarians, unique, fast-evolving and more challenging responsibilities; hence we can no longer be content playing the laid-back or spectator’s role in confronting new socio-economic challenges that humanity has to grapple with, by confining ourselves to law-making."

The four-day seminar for the National Assembly, which ran parallel to a two-day programme for Kenyan Senators, saw leaders from the three branches of government – the Executive, Legislature and Judiciary – speak to Members and Senators about various topics including the role of Select Committees, ethics and parliamentary oversight. Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Kenya, Hon. Mohammed Ibrahim, spoke about the relationship between the Judiciary and the Legislature as he emphasised the importance of the separation of powers. Media and civil society leaders were also invited to outline opportunities for collaboration with Members of Parliament.

Parliamentary experts from the Parliaments of Australia, Canada and South Africa provided a Commonwealth perspective at the seminar. Hon. Kevin Andrews, former Australian Minister of Defence, Natalie Foster, Clerk Assistant at the House of Commons of Canada, and Hon. Sylvia Lucas, Deputy Chairperson of the National Council of Provinces of South Africa, offered unique insights on issues including parliamentary privilege, public engagement and inter-parliamentary diplomacy.

Above: The CPA's resource team brought Commonwealth expertise from Australia, Canada and South Africa to the seminar. Click here for further images.

Experts from the International Republican Institute (IRI) and House Democracy Partnership also brought a perspective on the US Congress to the seminar.

For a selection of images of the seminar please click here.

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The Commonwealth Parliamentary Association connects, develops, promotes and supports Parliamentarians and their staff to identify benchmarks of good governance and the implementation of the enduring values of the Commonwealth. The CPA is an international community of around 180 Commonwealth Parliaments and Legislatures working together to deepen the Commonwealth’s commitment to the highest standards of democratic governance.

For media enquiries, please contact communications@cpahq.org.