A delegation from the TNL South Sudan met with the Kenyan Parliament to discuss ways to enhance the effectiveness of legislative and oversight tasks.

#Report: Al-Naeim Mubarak

Members of the Transitional Legislative Assembly of South Sudan visited the Republic of Kenya on Wednesday to evaluate the performance of the Kenyan parliamentary committee and to strengthen relations and the effectiveness of legislative and oversight tasks of the South Sudanese council.

The South Sudanese parliamentary delegation was led by Stephen Ajuong Akol and was received by the Speaker of the Kenyan Parliamentary Committee, Moses Wetangula, at the Kenyan Parliament building.

Akol was accompanied by Members of Parliament Miri Wani, Regina Richard Aban, Regina Joseph Kaba, John Waragi Nyakira, Dominic Bandima, Henry Amoko Mwinyi, and James Thiam Lua. Akol stated that they wanted to learn about the benchmark standards as they saw that the Kenyan parliamentary committee follows best practices, and they came to observe and understand how to practically implement them in South Sudan.

Kenyan Parliament Speaker Wetangula recalled his presence when South Sudan gained independence on July 9, 2011, as Kenya’s Foreign Minister, emphasizing that Kenya has always been ready to support South Sudan since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which led to the country’s independence.

Wetangula expressed Kenya’s commitment to supporting South Sudan in developing strong parliamentary systems, as it is an East African country. He encouraged the delegation to visit the Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Training, a leading resource center for capacity building, where MPs are trained at both the national and local levels, and parliamentary staff are trained in effective legislative practices.

Faith Gitau, the MP for Nyandarua County and Chair of the Public Service Commission’s Employee Welfare Department, emphasized the importance of treating every committee member equally, regardless of their political affiliation. She mentioned that the Kenyan parliamentary committee serves all parliament members equally, regardless of their political parties.

The South Sudanese MPs expressed their admiration for the Kenyan parliamentary structures, the progress in parliamentary independence, governance reforms, legislative efficiency, and plans to adapt some practices. They praised Kenya’s model of parliamentary administration, from employee welfare to legislative drafting services.

South Sudanese MP Miri Wani stated that they wanted to implement substantial reforms in South Sudan’s parliament and are looking forward to benefiting from the Kenyan experience. She added that they learned valuable lessons during this visit.