The Senate on Tuesday held its inaugural sitting in Kilifi County as part of the Senate Mashinani programme, taking parliamentary business outside Nairobi and giving residents an opportunity to engage directly with their representatives.

The historic sitting was held at the Kilifi County Assembly, with senators turning up in traditional Mijikenda attire to mark the occasion.

Among those who donned the cultural attire were Kilifi Senator and Senate Minority Leader Stewart Madzayo, Mombasa Senator Faki Mohamed and Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna among others.

It was the first time Kilifi County has hosted Senate sittings since the programme was introduced to take the House closer to the people and strengthen interaction between the national and county governments.

Kilifi becomes the fifth county to host Senate sittings outside Nairobi, after Uasin Gishu in 2018, Kitui in 2019, Turkana in 2023 and Busia in 2025.

The sitting also brought the Senate's legislative agenda closer to issues of particular importance to the Coast, with the Fisheries Management and Development Bill, 2024 (Senate Bills No. 18 of 2024) among the legislation before the House.

The Bill seeks to provide a framework for the management, development and conservation of fisheries resources, an issue of significance to Kilifi and the wider Coast region, where fishing and other marine activities support thousands of livelihoods.

Opening the sitting, Senate Speaker Amason Kingi welcomed senators, county leaders and residents to Kilifi, describing the occasion as an important milestone for the devolved unit.

Speaker Kingi, who previously served as the first governor of Kilifi County for 10 yeats, said taking Senate business to the counties was part of efforts to deepen devolution and bring Parliament closer to citizens.

He used the opportunity to urge residents to use the chance to present their concerns and petitions to the Senate.

“I call upon residents of Kilifi County to turn out at the County Assembly and present any petitions to the Senate. We are here to address issues raised by citizens, as required by the Constitution,” said the Speaker.

Speaker Kingi also implored devolved governments to openly present challenges affecting service delivery, saying the Senate had a role to play in addressing them.

“I appeal to counties, please do not hide your challenges. In the Senate, you have a true friend,” he said.

The five-day programme includes plenary and committee sittings, public engagements and inspection visits to various projects and institutions across the county.

Senate committees had already commenced examining issues ranging from healthcare and environmental compliance to infrastructure, labour standards and digital government services.

A joint committee is also expected to engage fishermen, traders, women’s groups and beach management units as part of efforts to assess the state of the fisheries sector and the wider blue economy.

The Senate Committtee had also undertaken oversight visits to health facilities in Malindi and Marafa, inspected projects funded through the Equalisation Fund in Ganze among others.

Other areas already visited includes the proposed Kilifi County headquarters, the proposed outpatient block at Kilifi County Referral Hospital, the County Aggregation and Industrial Park. 

Women senators under their umbrella Kenya Women Senators Association (KEWOSA) also hit the ground running on from Sunday when they visited Malindi Women’s prison, Gede Comprehensive and Malindi Hospital. 

Senator Madzayo welcomed the Senate's presence in Kilifi and encouraged residents to take advantage of the programme to raise issues affecting them.

“This is a lifetime experience for Kilifi people,” Senator Madzayo said, urging residents to present their petitions and concerns to the Senate.

The Senate Mashinani initiative is intended to promote public awareness of the work of the Senate, create opportunities for citizens to participate in the legislative process and strengthen cooperation between Parliament and county assemblies.

For Kilifi, the sitting provides a platform for residents to engage directly with senators on matters ranging from fisheries and healthcare to development projects and service delivery.

As the Senate continues its business in Kilifi, attention is expected to remain on legislation affecting the county and the wider Coast region, as well as the implementation of devolved functions and projects.