KTN NEWS & KICC to host Senate temporarily

By Peter Opiyo

Kenyatta International Conference Centre (KICC) will host the first Senate under the new Constitution as renovation of Parliament’s Old Chamber continues.

The Senate will use the building for some months as repairs continue at the 100-seater Old Chamber.

Clerk of the Senate Jeremiah Nyegenye said the senators would use the 90-seater Shimba Hills hall as the debating chamber. He said the Senate and its staff have occupied the entire first-floor of the building. President-elect Uhuru Kenyatta is, however, using a section of the floor as his temporary office.

Staff members of the Senate have already moved to the facility and are laying the ground for the legislators.

Mr Nyegenye said they are ready for the new members and are just waiting for the President to convene Parliament’s sitting.

Gazettement

“We are all set and are ready to start, we are just waiting for the gazettement announcing the convening of the House,” said Nyegenye. The President is supposed to convene the first sitting ofParliament within 30 days after the declaration of election results.

The Old Chamber is being refurbished at a cost of Sh1.2 billion and it is expected that the works would be complete by the end of the year. But Nyegenye said the Senate could move to County Hall, which is also under renovation- before the end of the year-to avoid incurring more costs in rent.

The works at the County Hall, which is being modelled into a Chamber, are expected to be complete by June.

Offices have already been set up at the building for the Speaker of the Senate, his Deputy, Leader of Majority, Leader of Minority and the Hansard departments, amongst other key offices.

Nyegenye said there may be some challenges in terms of office space but pointed out that this is just temporary.

Mr Nyegenye says it would be necessary for the Senate to have rotational sittings across the 47 counties to effectively oversee operations of the devolved units.