This archive report was first published on 10 June 2020.
On June 10, 2020, a significant ruling was made by National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi in Nairobi, Kenya, regarding the composition of House committees.
Speaker Muturi barred parliamentary parties – Jubilee, ODM, and Wiper – from ejecting independents and lawmakers from non-parliamentary parties from House committees, pending the adoption of clear guidelines under the Standing Orders.
This ruling came in response to a request for clarity by Ugenya MP David Ochieng' (MDG), who was facing expulsion from a committee by ODM.
According to Speaker Muturi, the review of the Standing Orders should not weaken the grip of parliamentary parties on the allocation of committee slots but should instead stretch the democratic space in the House, incorporating fairness and inculcating the expectations of Articles 1, 94, 95, 97, and 103 of the Constitution in the criteria for sharing committee slots.
