The Majority and Minority leaders in both the National Assembly and the Senate are celebrating the completion and inauguration of Bunge Tower, expressing confidence that it will alleviate the financial burden on the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC).
This relief, the leaders said, is particularly crucial as the PSC juggles competing financial priorities, balancing the need for adequate space for parliamentary committees and office accommodations for members and staff.
Led by the Leader of the Majority Party in the National Assembly, Hon. Kimani Ichung’wah, the House leadership emphasized the significance of the new Parliament building in reducing costs and optimizing financial resources for legislative purposes.
Once fully occupied by members of the National Assembly and the Senate, Hon. Ichung’wah observed that the tower is expected to result in substantial savings for the PSC, previously allocated for facilitating Members and House committees to convene outside the precincts of Parliament.
“Before, Honourable Members commenced the occupation of Bunge Tower two weeks ago, over 100 MPS were renting offices outside Parliament, with about 70 being housed at the KICC on leased arrangements, while a good number were fortunate to be allocated office space within the precincts of Parliament, shared office space with their staff,” he explained.
With ample office spaces dedicated to 331 Members of Both Houses of Parliament and 26 Committee Rooms hosted on the first, second, third, and fifth floors, he said, that the Bunge Tower’s facilities will significantly enhance Parliament’s infrastructure.
“Additionally, the Tower provides a total of 350 parking slots. Adjacent to the Committee rooms, will be offices for a good number of Committee Clerks,” he noted.
In an effort to implement the PSC Strategic Plan’s objective of a green compliant Parliament, he observed, that the Tower has installed a rainwater harvesting system with a capacity of 184,000 liters and a solar water heating panel system on the 27th floor.
Citing the more than Kshs. 1.5 million per day expenditure by the Budget and Appropriations Committee during the Budget making cycle, Ichung’wah said Bunge Tower’s 26 Committee Rooms are a great shot in the arm to Parliament’s crucial infrastructure.
He said the availability of committee rooms within Bunge Tower will eliminate the need for such expenses, leading to significant savings in accommodation and travel costs.
“You know, your Excellency, under your administration.
You have endeavored to make sure that all government agencies, ministries, and departments cut on costs, and Your Excellency, the completion and opening of this building that you’ve just done this morning goes a long way to helping the institution of Parliament and indeed the legislature to institutionalize huge cost budget cutting measures,” he said.
“Your Excellency, you have witnessed and seen the almost 26 committee rooms that are now operational in this building,” he added.
For instance, Ichung’wah noted that during the Budget Making Process, the Budget and Appropriations Committee is required to consistently sit for at least two weeks to consider the Budget Estimates.
With no permanently allocated sitting space within Parliament, he said, the National Assembly has in the past had to make do with putting the Committee up in a hotel the entire period either in Garden INN hotel or Boma Hotel both on Mombasa Road.
“Your Excellency, This often will attract a cost of not less than Sh1.5 million per day.
The Committee now has an allocated room within Bunge Tower and will henceforth transact the Committee business within the precincts of Parliament,” he held.
Moreover, he noted, the presence of dedicated committee rooms within Parliament premises will also streamline government operations, reducing costs for Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries who no longer need to commute long distances for committee meetings outside Nairobi City.
This move aligns with the cost-cutting measures advocated by the Kenya Kwanza administration.
Hon. Ichung’wah also highlighted the challenges of committee rooms that Parliament has had to deal with from about 24 Committees pre-the 2010 Constitution era, to have to contend with offering facilities to 65 Committees; 44 in the National Assembly and 21 in the Senate.
“With just about 10 Committee rooms available within the precincts of Parliament, many Committees have from time to time suffered cancellation of crucial meetings due to unavailability of meeting space, thus interrupting the Committees’ agenda,” he said.
He decried that key witnesses in Committee meetings including Cabinet Secretaries and Principal Secretaries have often been caught up in challenges of committee rooms that Parliament has had to deal with over the years.
“In some instances, they have had to wait for other Committees to wind up their meetings, so that the Committees that had invited them can commence theirs, or altogether forced to reschedule their engagements, to appear on another date due the lack of Committee rooms,” he remarked.
“This is despite Parliament having allocated all available space including the library, the Media Centre, the Members’ Dining having been taken up”
He asked his colleagues to utilize Bunge Tower for better service to the people of Kenya and oversight of Government to ensure that there is meaningful and proper oversight of all government ministries and departments.
Senate Majority Leader Senator Aaron Cheruiyot emphasized a notable feature of Bunge Tower, highlighting the cutting-edge audiovisual systems installed in all 26 committee rooms.
“In all the 26 committee rooms, there’s state-of-the-art audiovisual technology that allows the people of Kenya to witness committee proceedings live for the first time,” Senator Cheruiyot noted.
He emphasized the accountability this brings, stating, “As a member of parliament, this serves as a reminder to colleagues present here.
You can no longer use the excuse of being in a committee to ignore constituents’ calls, as sessions are accessible via live web streams. Your constituents can easily verify your attendance.”
Senator Cheruiyot emphasized that the advanced audiovisual system will significantly enhance public understanding of committee decisions before reports are presented to the House.
“We’re making parliamentary proceedings accessible to the people of Kenya. They’ll now have insight into the deliberative process of committees, informing our legislative debates,” he concluded.
The Leader of the Minority Party in the National Assembly, Hon. Opiyo Wandayi, expressed regret over the negative publicity surrounding the project saying as chair of the Public Accounts Committee in the 12thParliament there was no moment as a committee audited the books of accounts of PSC they discovered any form of impropriety.
“I want to allay any fears that would have been there, that perhaps this project has been shrouded in some form of mystery or corruption.
You know, I like talking about facts.
When I talk out there.
I talk when I’ve got facts at my fingertips, and therefore for this project, Excellency.
If I were to be asked I would give this project a clean bill of health,” said Wandayi.
He urged fellow Members of Parliament to take pride in the accomplishment, emphasizing the unique privilege the Kenyan Parliament holds in having a 26-floor office building, unparalleled across the African continent.
“As representatives, we are truly fortunate in this region, and indeed, throughout Africa.
Few, if any, parliaments boast such state-of-the-art facilities.
Having visited parliamentary institutions worldwide, I can attest that many lack the resources we now possess.
Let us commend ourselves as a nation and as a parliament,” he concluded.
On his part, Defence Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale decreed Parliament as possessing the finest infrastructure, emphasizing the uniqueness of the tunnel connecting Bunge Tower to the Main Parliament Buildings.
As the inaugural Majority Leader under the new constitution and a three-time Garissa Township MP, Hon.
Duale drew parallels between the tunnel system in Parliament and the renowned US Capitol Hill tunnel utilized by members of the US Congress.
“If you’ve been to the US Capitol Hill, you’ve seen the tunnel.
It mirrors exactly what we have here.
Our benchmark is that of the US Congress, the Capitol Hill,” Duale asserted.
He highlighted the enhanced quality of committee rooms in Parliament, recounting his recent scrutiny by the Defence, Intelligence, and Foreign Relations Committee in the run-up to the launch.
Bunge Tower Set To Save Parliament Sh400 Million In Rental Expenses, Says Speaker Kingi.
