Committees: The Committee System

The procedure of the House provide for the formation of four kinds of Committees;
Committees of the Whole House; Standing Committees; Ad hoc Select Committees; and
Departmental Committees;

Committees of the Wholehouse
There are three types of Committees of the Whole House.
Committee of the Whole House on Committee stage of a Bill

• On a bill being given a Second Reading, it stands committed to the Committee of the
  Whole House, unless the House resolves to commit it to an Ad hoc Select Committee.
  Committee of the Whole House on the Budget
  
• Following the laying of annual or supplementary estimates of government expenditure
  before the House, and the budget speech by the Minister for Finance, the Committees of
  Ways and Means; and of Supply deliberate on them in sequence. Both Committee are of
  the Whole House.

The Committee of Ways and Means
Confines itself to deliberation on the processes suggested by the Minister for Finance to
raise funds to foot the budget for ‘he particular Fiscal Year. These deliberations are supposed
to last three days.

Committee of Supply
Confines itself to deliberation on the distribution of funds to be raised in the Committee of
Ways and Means to the various Ministries ano’ Departments; this Committee does the
distributions within the twenty allotted days before October 31, each Calendar year.

Standing Committees
May also be known as Sessional Committees, and consist of a minimum of five and a
maximum of twenty Members nominated by the House Business Committee and appointed
by the House, on a motion moved by the Leader of Govemment Business. The business
carried out by the current eight Standing Committees is either routine and/or in-house. The
lifespan of the membership of these Committees coincides with that of a Session. The
Committees falling under this category are:-

• House Business Committee:- prepares and manages the programme of the business of
  the House on a weekly basis;
• Estimates Committee:- was deleted on November 10 1 997.
  
• Public Accounts Committee:- examines reports by the Controller and Auditor-General
  on Central Government expenditure and fund accounts;
  
• Public Investments Committee:- examines reports by the Auditor-General
  (Corporations) on accounts of state corporations;
  
• Speaker’s Committee:- examines matters relating to the welfare of Members and staff
  of the National Assembly;
  
• Standing Orders Committee:- examines matters relating to and makes periodic reviews
  of the Standing Orders as necessary
  
• Liaison Committee:- examines and co-ordinates matters relating to operations of the
  Departmental Committees; and
  
• Powers and Privileges Committee:- is established under the National Assembly (Powers
  and Privileges) Act, (Cap 6, Laws of Kenya), and deals with issues regarding privileges
  of the House, Members and staff.

AD HOC Select Committees
These are appointed by the House as and whenever the need arises to investigate, study
and make recommendations on certain specific matters and issues for consideration by the
House.