The National Assembly and Senate will convene tomorrow to begin official business, with the formation of the House Business Committee (HBC) on the agenda.
The names submitted by the majority and minority parties or coalitions to form the committee will be approved by the bicameral Houses.
If the House adopts members to form HBC, the House will be adjourned to allow new members to attend a retreat to prepare the morning order paper for Wednesday and subsequent days.
If the House rejects the nominees, it will be adjourned until the Speaker notifies members of a new sitting, which must be at least 12 hours in advance.
A battle looms between the Kenya Kwanza and Azimio coalition political parties, with each claiming a majority in the National Assembly.
For the first time, the House will find itself in a precarious situation in which the Minority side has formed the government while the Majority is in opposition.
Furthermore, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, who was sponsored by Kenya Kwanza, is constitutionally bound to preside over the House as a neutral arbiter while avoiding contact with the coalition that backed his bid.
According to Article 108 (1) of the Constitution, there shall be a leader of the majority party and a leader of the minority party. The majority party’s leader shall be the leader of the largest party or coalition of parties in the National Assembly.
The same Article states that the leader of the minority party shall be the person who is the leader of the second largest party or coalition of parties in the National Assembly.
The Speaker (chairperson), Leader of the Majority Party, Leader of the Minority Party, and not less than 21 and not more than 29 members, nominated by parliamentary parties and approved by the House at the start of each Session, comprise the House Business Committee.
The membership of the HBC should reflect the relative majorities of the seats held by each of the parliamentary parties in the National Assembly, as well as Independents’ interests.
The House Business Committee is appointed within seven days of the formation of a new House, and each parliamentary party is required to include its Whip on the committee.
