The members of the Canada-Africa Parliamentary Association have hailed Kenya’s efforts in entrenching people living with disabilities within the governance system.
They termed the affirmative action that saw their representation in Parliament guaranteed in the Constitution, as very progressive.
In a meeting with the Speaker of the National Assembly, Justin Muturi when they paid him a courtesy call, the delegation which is in the country on a bilateral mission, noted that Kenyans had achieved a rare feat by electing a sizable number of members living with disability to both the National Assembly and the Senate.
On his part, Speaker Muturi noted that members of the National Assembly and the staff had in the past greatly benefitted from the knowledge transfer acquired through their study tours to the Parliament of Canada, adding that the two legislatures enjoyed cordial relations developed over their long term relationship.
He also took them through the working relationship between the National Assembly and the Senate, as envisaged in the constitution, which the association wished to be acquainted with.
The nine (9) Member delegation comprising of Members from both the Canadian Senate and the House of Commons, also sought to understand the status of the political situation in the country, noting that the country had gone through a long protracted electoral process.
The Speaker informed them that the challenges witnessed during the inception of the 12th Parliament, had since thawed, noting that the House had just held the Post Election Seminar for members of the National Assembly, in which Members from both the Majority and the Minority had actively participated.
The delegation which is in the country on a one week study tour of the Parliament of Kenya is led by Rob Oliphant and includes: Senator Raynell Andreychuk, Senator Jim Munson, Pam Damoff, Greg Fergus, Gord Johns, Jamie Schmale, and Len Webber.
The delegation which later on Monday afternoon met with the Departmental Committee on Defence and Foreign Relations, will be hosted by several Departmental Committees of the National Assembly, as it seeks to understand the workings of the Committee system in the Kenyan jurisdiction.