Cabinet Approves Special Committee to Verify Pending Bills

The establishment of a special committee to look into pending laws has received approval from the Cabinet.

The auditing of liabilities for the years 2005 through 2022 will fall within the purview of the Pending Bills Verification Committee.

The Cabinet acknowledged that unfinished laws continue to be a difficult problem at a meeting presided over by President William Ruto at State House.

The National Government owes Ksh 481 billion in unpaid bills as of June 5, 2015, while the counties owe Ksh 159.9 billion.

The Attorney General, the State Department of Public Works, the State Department of Housing and Urban Development, the State Department of Roads, and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority will make up the Committee.

The team will also include members from the Kenyan Law Society, Kenyan Institute of Engineers, Kenyan Institute of Certified Public Accountants, and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.

After verification, the Committee will review and deliver interim reports to the Treasury Cabinet Secretary. The relevant obligation will be upheld by the Government.

The action aims to ensure the validity of all bills and protect small businesses from a lack of liquidity.

Importantly, the committee will suggest a method to halt additional pending measures.

The Committee will deliver its final report within a year, it was decided.

The creation of decentralized offices for the Department of Justice and Attorney General has been approved by the Cabinet in the interim.

This will guarantee that services are available to the general public at a low cost.

Additionally, it approved the transmission and submission of the 2023 Tribunals Bill to Parliament.

If passed, the Bill will establish the Tribunals Registry, rationalize and regulate tribunal administration and activities, and assure the tribunals’ independence and impartiality.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will visit Kenya, as the Cabinet also approved, strengthening the commitment of the government to accessible, high-quality healthcare.

The choice to host the Gates Foundation was influenced by the significance of collaborating with the private sector in the areas of Universal Healthcare.

In advance of the launch of more than 5000 totally digital government services on Friday, June 30th, the Cabinet was also updated on the state of the Digital Superhighway and the digitalization of government services.

The drought and food situation in the country were also discussed at the conference, with an improvement expected.

President Ruto accorded Harriette Chiggai approval to attend the meeting in order to put women’s rights at the forefront of his administration.

Advisors David Ndii, the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisors, Monica Juma, the national security adviser, and Cleophas Malala, the secretary general of the UDA, will also be present.