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.

The Senate Standing Committee on Education has undertaken an inspection visit to two Early Childhood Development Education (ECDE) centres in Kilifi County as part of the 5th Edition of Senate Mashinani, an initiative that brings the Senate closer to the people and provides an opportunity for Senators to undertake oversight on the implementation of devolved functions at the grassroots.

The Kilifi County Government has been given one month to provide a comprehensive report on gaps in the regulations required to operationalise dozens of laws enacted by the county, after the Senate Committee on Delegated Legislation raised serious concerns over what it described as failures in implementing the county’s legislative framework.

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has assured counties of the Senate’s continued support in ensuring that residents across the country fully benefit from devolution.

Speaking during an engagement with the Kilifi County Executive led by Governor Gideon Mung’aro, Speaker Kingi applauded the achievements of devolution, reiterating that a key function of the Senate is to protect the interests of counties.

He said the Senate remains committed to executing this mandate effectively and ensuring that the interests and concerns of counties are adequately addressed.