House resumes as heavy schedule expected

Parliament resumes with a packed agenda on key legal and economic reforms. [Courtesy]

The National Assembly resumes today after a short recess, with a heavy schedule lined up to implement in the coming weeks.

The House is expected to prioritise several legislative reforms surrounding business regulation, competition, electoral, media laws and consumer protection when it resumes sittings.

It is also to resume an intensive legislative programme as it seeks to conclude consideration of key Bills and committee reports before the next session ends.

Leader of Majority Party Kimani Ichung’wah outlined the House's legislative agenda for this week, saying Members of Parliament will immediately embark on considering key Bills and committee reports aimed at strengthening the country's legal and regulatory framework.

As he presented the House Business Committee's statement before the MPs proceeded for recess on July 2nd, 2026, Ichung’wah said the committee had met to prioritise business for consideration upon resumption of the House.

“The House Business Committee shall reconvene on Tuesday, July 28 to schedule business for the rest of that week,” said Ichung’wah.

Among the priority items is the Second Reading of the Books and Newspapers (Amendment) Bill, 2025, which seeks to amend laws governing the publishing sector.

MPs will also debate the Competition (Amendment) Bill, 2026, whose proposals are expected to strengthen the country's competition regime and improve regulation of market practices.

Last week, the National Assembly Committee on Finance met a number of stakeholders, who gave their input on the Competition (Amendment) Bill 2026.

Among them included Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK), which said the proposed Competition Amendment Bill (National Assembly Bill No 4 of 2026) will strengthen the regulatory framework, clarify statutory powers and improve enforcement mechanisms.

Director General, David Kemei, said the amendment will ensure the country’s competition framework remains responsive to increasingly sophisticated business models and the rapid growth of the digital economy.

According to Kemei, while the digital economy presents significant opportunities for innovation, financial inclusion, investment and economic growth, it also gives rise to unique competition challenges.

“The increasing prominence of large digital platforms has created risks associated with the concentration of market power, unfair trading practices, economic dependence, exclusionary conduct and barriers to market entry,” he told the committee.

Unlike traditional businesses, Kemei said digital platforms derive competitive advantages from strong network effects, the accumulation and control of vast amounts of data and integrated digital ecosystems.

At the same time, Ichung’wah cited another legislation scheduled for debate as the Business Laws (Amendment) Bill (Senate Bill No. 51 of 2024), which seeks to amend various statutes affecting the business environment to enhance efficiency and improve the ease of doing business.

The House is also expected to consider several committee reports and petitions covering governance, public finance, transport and healthcare.

The House will also be expected to consider various motions, including the report of the Kenyan delegation that attended the 151st Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) and related meetings.

This comes against the backdrop of legislators engaging their counterparts from across the world on parliamentary democracy, governance and global policy issues.

Other business that the MPS are expected to undertake will be to further deliberate on the Second Report on the Status of Reports on Petitions and Resolutions, which tracks implementation of recommendations adopted by the House.

The legislative agenda also includes consideration of a petition proposing amendments to the Consumer Protection Act amid growing calls for stronger safeguards for consumers in an increasingly digital and competitive marketplace.

In the transport sector, the MPs will be expected to examine a report on the audited financial statements of selected State corporations, as Parliament continues its oversight role over public institutions.

Healthcare concerns are also expected to feature, as the House is to debate a petition on the management of haemophilia and other bleeding disorders, in addition to highlighting the challenges patients face in accessing specialised treatment and support services.

Similarly, the House is to consider the Fourth Report on the audited financial statements of the National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) as legislators continue to scrutinise the management and utilisation of constituency development funds.

Before going for recess, NGCDF Committee Chairperson, Musa Sirma, tabled the schedule of constituency budget ceilings before the National Assembly, saying the increase would support equitable development across the country.

The 290 constituencies are expected to share Sh58.7 billion under NGCDF in the Financial Year 2026/27 after Parliament approved an increase in the fund's allocation despite a constrained fiscal environment.

The NG-CDF allocation increased by 5.1 per cent from Sh58.797 billion in the current financial year to Sh61.798 billion, with every constituency set to receive between Sh8.8 million and Sh11.3 million more than in the previous financial year.

Under the law, the NG-CDF receives not less than 2.5 per cent of the national government's share of revenue as approved through the annual Division of Revenue Act.

Out of the Sh61.798 billion allocation, Sh3.09 billion—equivalent to five per cent of the fund—has been set aside to cater for the administration and operational expenses of the NG-CDF Board.

This leaves Sh58.708 billion available for direct allocation to the 290 constituencies.

The allocations have been computed using the formula provided under the NG-CDF Act, where 75 per cent of the funds are shared equally among all constituencies while the remaining 25 per cent is distributed based on the number of wards in each constituency.

 Under the equal share component, every constituency will receive Sh151 million, accounting for a total allocation of Sh44.03 billion.

The remaining Sh14.68 billion has been distributed according to the number of wards in each constituency, resulting in varying final allocations across the country.

As the House also went for the short break, Ichung’wah also postponed a Kamukunji that had been called to discuss stalled housing projects and will instead be held during the first week after the House resumes.

This meant that discussions on concerns surrounding the housing projects as raised by several MPs would have to wait a little longer, amid growing public interest in the current status.

As Parliament adjourned for the short recess, Hon. Ichung’wah thanked Members for what he described as their dedication during a busy first half of the Fifth Session.