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County Assembly Committees - Functions

1)  Chairperson of Committees

  • Elected soon after the election of the speaker
  • Presides over all committees of the whole County Assembly
  • Elected like a speaker

2)  County Assembly Business Committee- Composition

  • Speaker-chair
  • Leader of majority party
  • Leader of minority party
  • Party Whips
  • Not less than 21 and not more than 29 members
  • Must reflect relative majorities including independents
  • Appointed within 7 days
  • Quorum- Chairperson and at least one third of membership

Main functions of the County Assembly Business Committee

  • Prepare programme and calendar of the County Assembly
  • Implement the programme
  • Issue directives or guidelines to prioritize or postpone business of the County Assembly
  • Determine order of debating committee reports

 

3)  Committee on Selection- Composition

  • Leader of majority – Chair
  • Leader of minority
  • Not less than 11 and not more than 19 members
  • Appointed within 10 days

 

Functions of the committee on selection

  • Nominates members to serve in select committees
  • Does nominate those to serve in House Business Committee and the Committee on appointments
  • Nominates in consultation with parties
  • Must ensure gender balance- no more than two thirds of same gender
  • Reflect the relative majorities of the seats held by parties-membership proportional to party strength
  • Present the list of nominated members to the Assembly within 7 days for approval
  • Rejections if any directed at entire list and not individual members

 

4)  Committee on Appointments-Composition

  • Speaker – Chairperson
  • Leader of majority
  • Leader of minority
  • Not more than 3 other members nominated by the House Business Committee
  • Nominated on the basis of numerical party strength in the Assembly
  • Appointed within 7 days
  • Serve for a period of three years

Functions of Committee on Appointment

  • Consider appointments of the County executive Committee Members

 

5)  County Public Investments and Accounts Committee- Composition

  • A chairperson
  • Not more than four other members
  • Serve for a period of 3 years

Functions of the County Public Investment and Accounts Committee

  • Examine accounts showing appropriations by the County assembly to meet public expenditure
  • Examine reports, accounts and workings of the County public investments
  • Examine whether the affairs of the County Public investments are managed with sound financial or business principles

 

6)  County Budget and Appropriations Committee- Composition

  • A chairperson
  • Not more than 8 other members
  • Serve for a period of 3 years
  • Quorum – 5 members
  • Shall invite chairpersons of all sectoral committees to make presentations during the consideration of a budget

Functions of the County Budget and Appropriations Committee

  • Investigate, inquire into and report on all matters related to the budget
  • Discuss and review the estimates and make recommendations to the County Assembly
  • Examine the county budget policy statement
  • Examine bills related to the national budget, including appropriations bills
  • Evaluate tax estimates
  • Evaluate economic and budgetary policies and programmes with direct budget outlays

 

7)  County Assembly Procedure and Rules Committee- Composition

  • Speaker – chairperson
  • Chairperson of Committees
  • Not more than 3 others members

Functions of the County Assembly procedure and rules Committee

  • Consider and report on all matters relating to standing orders
  •  Propose amendments to the standing orders
  • Propose rules for orderly and effective conduct of committees

 

8)  Committee on Implementation

  • No information on membership/ composition
  • To be guided by the general guidelines of establishing select committees

 

Functions of the committee on Implementation

  • Examine resolutions of the county assembly, petitions and undertakings of the executive committee
  • Examine whether such decisions and undertakings have been implemented
  • Whether legislation passed by the county assembly has been operationalised
  • Propose sanctions against any member of the executive committee who fails to report to the relevant select on implementation status

 

9)  Committee on Delegated County Legislation

  •  No information on membership/ composition
  • To be guided by the general guidelines of establishing select committees

 

Functions of the Committee on Delegated County Legislation

Consider whether:

  •  any law, standing order or statutory instrument before it is in accord with the constitution or Act of parliament
  • Infringes on fundamental rights and freedoms of the public
  • Contains imposition of taxation
  • Directly or indirectly bars the jurisdiction of the courts
  • Gives retrogressive effect of the provisions which the constitution or Act does not give any such powers
  • Involves expenditure from the County Revenue Fund or other public revenues
  • Is defective in its drafting or any statutory  instrument calls for elucidation
  • Makes some unusual or unexpected use of constitutional powers or Act of parliament
  • Makes rights, liberties or obligations unduly dependent on non renewable decisions
  • Makes rights, liberties or obligations unduly dependent on insufficiently defined administrative powers
  • Inappropriately delegates legislative powers
  • Imposes a fine, imprisonment or other penalty without enabling legislation
  • Infringes on the rule law

 

10)              Liaison Committee- Composition

  • Chairperson of Committees – chair
  • Chairpersons of all Committees of the County Assembly

 

Functions of the Liaison Committee

  • Guide and coordinate the operations, policies and mandates of all committees
  • Apportion the annual operating budget among the committees
  • Consider the programmes of all committees, including their need to travel and sit away from the precincts of the County Assembly
  • Ensure the committees submit reports
  • Determine the committee or committees to deliberate on any matter
  • Advise on the mandate of committees
  • Consider reports that have not been deliberated by the county assembly and make a report to the county assembly

 

11)              Sectoral Committees

  • No suggestion or proposals given
  • Composition not given – to be guided by the general guidelines for setting up select Committees

i)    Agriculture, Environment and Natural Resources

  • Handle all matters related to agriculture e.g

ü crop and animal husbandry

ü livestock sale yards

ü county abattoirs

ü plant and animal disease control

ü fisheries

  • Implementation of  National policies on natural resources and environmental conservation

ü Soil and water conservation and forestry

ü Control of air pollution, noise pollution, other public nuisances

ü Outdoor advertising

ii)  Healthy Services

  • All matters related to health services

ü County health facilities and pharmacies

ü Ambulance services

ü Promotion of primary health care

ü Licensing and control of food selling premises

ü Veterinary  services but regulation of the profession

ü Cemeteries, funeral parlours and crematoria

ü Refuse removal, refuse dumps and solid waste disposal

iii)                Children, Culture and Community services

  • Consider all matters related to cultural activities, public amenities and public entertainment

ü Betting, casinos and other forms of gambling

ü Racing, liquor licensing, cinemas, video shows and hiring

ü Libraries, museums, sports

ü Cultural activities and facilities and county parks, recreation facilities, fire fighting services and disaster management

ü Control of drugs and pornography

ü Animal control and welfare including licensing of dogs and facilities for accommodation, care and burial of animals

iv)Transport and Public works

  • Consider all matters related to county transport e.g

ü County roads, street lighting, traffic and parking,

ü Public road transport

ü County public works and services including storm water management, sanitation and water services

v)  Planning, Trade, Tourism and cooperatives

  • Deal with all matters related to County planning and development

ü Includes statistics, land survey and mapping

ü Boundaries and fencing

ü Housing and electricity, gas reticulation and energy regulation

ü Trade development and regulation including markets, trade licences but not regulation of professions

ü Fair trading practices

ü Local tourism and cooperative societies

vi)Early Childhood Education and Vocational Training

  • Handle all matters related to pre-primary education, village polytechnics, home craft centres and childcare facilities

vii)              Labour and Social Services

  • Consider all matters related to labour, trade union relations, manpower or human resources planning
  • Gender, culture and social welfare
  • Youth, national youth service children’s welfare, national heritage, betting, lotteries and sports

viii)            Justice and legal affairs

  • Considers constitutional affairs
  • Administration of law and justice

ü Including the elections, ethics, integrity and anticorruption and human rights.

 

Functions of Sectoral Committees

  • Investigate, inquire into and report on all matters relating to county departments
  • Study the programmes and policy objectives of the departments and the effectiveness of implementation
  • Study and review all county legislation referred to it
  • Assess the success of county departments on the basis of results achieved compared to the stated objectives