The Constitution of Kenya, 2010 establishes values and principles of governance that ought to be reflected in the procedures and operations of Parliament. #ParliamentaryWatchReport First, it establishes values and principles of governance, which include national unity, sharing and devolution of power, the rule of law, democracy, participation of the people, integrity, transparency and accountability. These values and principles bind Parliament, legislators, and the officers of the Parliamentary Service. Second, the Constitution views the authority assigned to a state officer as a “public trust,” which, among other things, must be exercised in a manner that demonstrates respect for the people, brings honor to the nation and dignity of the office, and promotes public confidence and integrity in the office. Third, the Constitution provides that legislative authority belongs to the people, and Parliament only exercises this power as an agent of the people. As in any agency relationship, the implication of this provision is that Parliament must account to the people how it is exercising the authority entrusted to it. In this respect, it can be argued that in performing their functions such as approving nominees to public offices or checking agencies of the executive, the committees of the National Assembly are in fact performing what the Constitution terms as administrative action. Accordingly, they should adhere to the requirements of Article 47, including providing and publishing reasons for their decisions. This means that, unless considerations
Posted on: Thu, 20 Mar 2014 08:41:43 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015