Parliamentary Affairs
The State Department for Parliamentary Affairs, established by Executive Order No. 1 in January 2023, plays a critical role in shaping the nation's policy direction and legislative landscape, and ensuring a responsive government in the best interests of its citizens.
Mandate
At its core, the State Department for Parliamentary Affairs has two critical mandates:
Legislative Coordination
The Department is responsible for harmonizing the National Government's legislative agenda across all Ministries, State Departments and Agencies (MDAs). This is a collaborative effort that involves close consultation with Party/Coalition Leaders in Parliament. The objective is to ensure that proposed legislation aligns with the national interest, responds to the evolving needs of the citizenry and is devoid of overlaps or contradictions.
Policy Formulation and Review
The department oversees the processes of formulation and review of national policies. By proactively responding to and advising on emerging opportunities and challenges, the department ensures that Kenya's policies remain relevant and impactful in steering the nation towards its development goals.
Read more about the State Department;- https://www.parliamentaryaffairs.go.ke
Directorates
The State Department for Parliamentary Affairs operates through three Directorates, each playing a distinctive yet complementary role in fulfilling its mandate:
1. Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs Directorate
Headed by a Secretary for Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs, this Directorate focuses on several key functions:
- Coordinating Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) in initiating Bills, monitoring progress, thus facilitating the National Government Legislative Agenda.
- Providing a structured framework for identifying and developing priority legislation in line with the National Government Development agenda.
- Tracking the legislative development process and facilitating seamless interaction between the Executive and Parliament.
- Ensuring that Parliament is informed on government affairs and overseeing the Executive's responses to parliamentary inquiries.
- Monitoring the implementation of commitments made by the Executive to Parliament.
- Coordinating parliamentary liaison services across MDAs.
- Conducting capacity development for legislative, parliamentary, and policy making affairs.
- Providing legal assistance to the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary.
Legislative and Legal Affairs Division
- Coordinates MDAs and liaises with Parliament to realize the National Government legislative agenda.
- Develops a framework for identifying and prioritizing priority legislation.
- Offers guidance and tracks legislative development processes.
- Facilitates seamless interaction between the Executive and the Legislature.
- Provides legal guidance and tracking legislative development processes in MDAs.
Parliamentary Affairs Division
In liaison with relevant institutions, in preparing and implementation of local and international agreements and contracts on legislative and Parliamentary matters.
- Ensures commitments made by MDAs to Parliament are implemented.
- Monitors the development, implementation, and review of the legislative agenda process in MDAs.
- Coordinates Executive parliamentary liaison services across MDAs.
- Collaborates with relevant institutions for capacity building and development in Executive legislative and parliamentary affairs.
Headed by a Secretary for Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs, this is the Directorate that focuses on coordinating the identification, prioritization, and formulation of policies needed to achieve the National Government's development agenda.
- Providing timely guidance on addressing challenges that hinder policy development and implementation.
- Open-Government facilitation of public participation and stakeholder involvement in policy formulation. (Develop/Review public participation guidelines?)
- Creating platforms for government, private sector, and stakeholders to discuss and share information on socio-economic development trends.
- Researching and analyzing emerging policy concerns.
- Monitoring and evaluating the progress of National Government policies. This Directorate comprises two divisions:
Policy Coordination and Strategy Division
- Guides MDAs in identifying, prioritizing, and formulating policies to achieve national development goals.
- Collaborates with MDAs and institutions to build capacity in the policy-making process.
- Ensures MDAs comply with constitutional requirements for public participation and stakeholder involvement.
- Identifies platforms for addressing emerging socio-economic issues.
Policy Analysis and Advisory Division
- Collaborates with relevant institutions for research and analysis on policy interventions.
- Provides policy advisory services for implementing the national development agenda.
- Coordinates and tracks policy-making processes across all MDAs.
- Monitors and evaluates the implementation of National Government policies.