𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐄, 𝐄𝐗𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐅𝐅 𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐂𝐎𝐎𝐑𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐈𝐍 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐂𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐘 𝐁𝐔𝐒𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒

𝐓𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝟐𝟖 𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔

Senate staff and Parliamentary Liaison Officers drawn from Ministries and Departments have convened for a high-level retreat aimed at strengthening coordination between Parliament and the Executive in the processing of parliamentary business.

The retreat, themed “Strengthening Cross-Institutional Synergy in the Processing of Parliamentary Business,” brings together Senate staff, Parliamentary Liaison Officers from State Departments and officials from the State Department for Parliamentary Affairs to review existing coordination mechanisms and explore ways of enhancing efficiency, responsiveness and communication between the two institutions.

Speaking during the opening session, Deputy Clerk of the Senate Mohamed Ali described the forum as an important opportunity for reflection and institutional improvement as the Thirteenth Parliament enters its final phase.

“We occupy unique positions of public trust. It is our solemn duty to honour that trust with diligence and integrity,” he said.

Ali noted that with approximately 14 months remaining before the end of the current Parliament, the retreat provides an opportunity to assess progress made so far while identifying practical strategies to enhance the processing of parliamentary business.

The retreat builds on earlier engagements held in Naivasha in 2023 and 2025, which focused primarily on the framework governing appearances of Cabinet Secretaries before the Senate to respond to Questions by Senators. This year’s forum expands the conversation to include the coordination framework surrounding Bills, Motions, Petitions, Statements and Statutory Instruments.

Officials from both the Senate and the Executive emphasized the importance of collaboration in ensuring Parliament effectively delivers on its constitutional mandate of legislation, oversight and representation.

Nick Biketi, Secretary for Legislative and Parliamentary Affairs in the Office of the Prime Cabinet Secretary, highlighted ongoing efforts to strengthen institutional engagement between ministries and Parliament through the Parliamentary Liaison Framework, which seeks to streamline communication and clarify coordination procedures between the Executive and the legislature.

He noted that effective coordination between ministries and Parliament remains critical in ensuring timely responses to Senate business, particularly Questions directed to Cabinet Secretaries and submissions required by Committees.

Questions directed to Cabinet Secretaries remain one of the key oversight tools of the House. Data shared during the meeting indicated that between February and May 2026, the Senate issued 29 invitations to Cabinet Secretaries, with 18 appearances recorded. During the same period, 41 Questions were scheduled, of which 36 received responses.

Deputy Clerk Ali said the figures reflected progress in institutional engagement while also highlighting the need for continued improvement in timelines, coordination and responsiveness.

Njenga Ruge, Director of Legislative and Procedural Services at the Senate, emphasized the need for a shared understanding of Senate standing orders and constitutional mandates among officers working across both institutions.

He added that the retreat aims to examine existing procedures relating to the appearance of Cabinet Secretaries before the Senate and identify areas where coordination can be strengthened further.

Throughout the sessions, participants discussed practical measures aimed at improving the turnaround time for parliamentary business, including clearer communication channels, predictable timelines for responses, enhanced institutional networks and better internal coordination within ministries and parliamentary offices.

The retreat programme includes discussions on the management of Questions and Statements, coordination in the processing of Bills and legislative proposals, handling of Statutory Instruments, processing of Petitions and follow-up on Senate resolutions.

The forum is expected to deepen understanding of Senate procedures among Parliamentary Liaison Officers, improve responsiveness to Senate invitations and enhance collaboration between the Senate and State Departments.