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| Kenyan National Assembly | |
|---|---|
| Name | National Assembly |
| Legislature | Parliament of Kenya |
| House type | Lower house |
| Body | Parliament of Kenya |
| Established | 1963 |
| Preceded by | Legislative Council of Kenya |
| Leader1 type | Speaker |
| Leader1 | Moses Wetang'ula |
| Party1 | United Democratic Alliance |
| Leader2 type | Majority Leader |
| Leader2 | Kimani Ichung'wa |
| Party2 | United Democratic Alliance |
| Members | 349 |
| Voting system | First-past-the-post, proportional representation for nominated seats |
| Last election | 2022 Kenyan general election |
| Meeting place | Parliament Buildings, Nairobi |
Kenyan National Assembly is the lower house of the Parliament of Kenya, established at independence in 1963 as the successor to the Legislative Council of Kenya. It sits alongside the Senate of Kenya in a bicameral legislature created by the 2010 Constitution, and meets at the Parliament Buildings, Nairobi to consider laws, budgets and oversight matters affecting the Republic of Kenya.
The institution evolved from the Legislative Council of Kenya formed under the colonial British Empire and the East Africa Protectorate, moving through milestones such as the Kenya Independence Act 1963, the 1963 Kenyan constitution, the shift to a one-party state under the Kenya African National Union during the Nyayo era and the reintroduction of plural politics after the NARC coalition victory in 2002. Major constitutional reforms culminated in the 2010 Constitution, which reconfigured representation and introduced a strengthened Senate of Kenya and devolved governments via the County Governments Act. The chamber has witnessed debates during crises including the Mau Mau Uprising legacies, the 1978 succession after Jomo Kenyatta's death, the 1992 multi-party elections, the disputed 2007–2008 Kenyan crisis, the 2010 constitutional referendum, the 2013 Kenyan general election, and the 2022 Kenyan general election.
The assembly comprises 349 members: 290 constituency-elected Members of Parliament, 47 woman representatives elected from each of the 47 counties, and 12 nominated members appointed to meet gender and minority representation targets set by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission under the Political Parties Act. Prominent figures who have served include Jomo Kenyatta, Daniel arap Moi, Wangari Maathai, Raila Odinga, Uhuru Kenyatta, Mwai Kibaki, Kalonzo Musyoka, Musalia Mudavadi, William Ruto, Martha Karua, Amina Mohamed, Wycliffe Oparanya, Ezekiel Machogu, Mutahi Kagwe, Henry Rotich, Ngilu Charity Kaluki and Eugene Wamalwa. Party representation often involves Jubilee Party, Orange Democratic Movement, Party of National Unity (Kenya), United Democratic Alliance, Wiper, Amani National Congress, Ford–Kenya, Kenya African National Union, Social Democratic Party (Kenya), Maendeleo Chap Chap and regional parties that contest county seats.
The assembly exercises legislative authority under the 2010 Constitution with responsibilities including passing bills, approving budgets, raising questions for executive accountability, and impeaching state officers. It reviews finance bills, engages in appropriation debates influenced by the National Treasury, conducts oversight over ministries such as Ministry of Health (Kenya), Ministry of Education (Kenya), Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government (Kenya), and ratifies appointments involving institutions like the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Kenya Revenue Authority, and the Judicial Service Commission. The assembly interacts with regional and international bodies including the East African Legislative Assembly, the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, and ratification processes involving treaties like those negotiated through the African Union and the United Nations.
Leadership is headed by the Speaker and supported by deputy speakers, majority and minority leaders, whips, and clerks drawn from the Parliamentary Service Commission. The internal organisation includes select and departmental committees such as the Budget and Appropriations Committee, the Public Accounts Committee, the Public Investments Committee, the Committee on Delegated Legislation, the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee, and the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee. Special ad hoc committees handle matters like constituency delimitation with input from the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission, and vetting of nominees referencing the Judicial Service Commission or the Senate of Kenya. Parliamentary staff liaise with external agencies including the Kenya Law Reform Commission, the National Crime Research Centre, and civil society organizations like the Institute for Social Accountability.
Bills originate from the executive, private members, or county assemblies and proceed through first, second and third readings in the chamber, committee scrutiny, committee of the whole and presidential assent under procedures described in the 2010 Constitution. Finance bills follow rules under the Public Finance Management Act and must pass through the Budget and Appropriations Committee before plenary debate. When conflicts arise with the Senate of Kenya on county-related matters, mediation is conducted by a Mediation Committee per constitutional provisions. The President of Kenya exercises assent or veto, and disputed legislation can be reviewed by the Supreme Court of Kenya, the Court of Appeal of Kenya, or declared inconsistent by the High Court of Kenya.
The assembly maintains oversight of the executive through question time, committee inquiries, approval of cabinet secretaries nominated by the president, and impeachment procedures set against the Kenya Constitution. High-profile interactions have included scrutiny of fiscal policy involving the National Treasury (Kenya), investigations into alleged corruption involving the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, and security oversight related to the Kenya Defence Forces and the National Police Service. Judicial review by the Supreme Court of Kenya and rulings from the Judicial Service Commission define the limits of parliamentary privilege and lawmaking, while the assembly cooperates with regional courts such as the East African Court of Justice on matters of treaty interpretation.
Members are elected under a mixed system dominated by first-past-the-post for constituencies during general elections administered by the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission; woman representatives are elected from counties, and nominated members are appointed by political parties to achieve representation. General elections occur every five years as mandated by the 2010 Constitution; prominent electoral events include the 1997 Kenyan general election, the 2002 Kenyan general election, the 2007–2008 Kenyan crisis, the 2013 Kenyan general election, the 2017 Kenyan general election, and the 2022 Kenyan general election. Dispute resolution often proceeds through petitions to the Supreme Court of Kenya and electoral reforms involve entities like the Kriegler Commission, the Waki Commission, and international observers from organizations such as the European Union Election Observation Mission and the Commonwealth Observer Group.
Category:Politics of Kenya Category:Parliamentary assemblies