Marende out

Kenneth Marende left the country on Friday night for a Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meeting in New Delhi, India which is to discuss management of Parliaments.

Mr Marende who is accompanied by Clerk, Patrick Gichohi will be attending the 20th CPA conference, which will among other issues discuss the role of speaker’s as a mediator.

It will also discuss the role of the speaker in the administration of parliament, their role in ensuring security of precincts of Parliament and the use of technology.

The conference will also brainstorm on how speakers and clerks can maintain, promote and encourage impartiality and fairness in parliament.

It also aims to promote knowledge and understanding of parliamentary democracy and strengthen parliamentary institutions.

The meeting brings together Speakers and presiding officers (clerks) of the Commonwealth parliaments. Mr Marende is the president of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association while Mr Gichohi is currently holding as the host of the clerks in the association.

The meeting is being held at the backdrop of the 56th Commonwealth Parliamentary Association meeting which will be held in Kenya in September this year.

Among the key speakers is House of Commons Speaker John Bercow, who recently took over the reins in London following the disgraceful departure of his predecessor Michael Martin who quit amidst the row of MPs expenses scandal.

India Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh will open the conference on Monday. The meeting ends on Thursday. Kenya held a similar conference in 2006.