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The outgoing Clerk of the National Assembly Michael Sialai officially handed over to Serah Kioko.

Acting Clerk of the National Assembly Serah Kioko will join the women of firsts by swearing-in MPs that will be elected in September when Parliament convenes.

The outgoing Clerk of the National Assembly Michael Sialai has officially handed over to Ms Kioko making her the seventh clerk of the National Assembly of the 13th Parliament albeit in an acting capacity.

The Constitution gives the National Assembly Clerk sole powers to administer the oath of office to the 349 newly elected MPs who in turn will elect a new Speaker.

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She will also be tasked to do among others, marshalling of published Bills, Motions and Sessional Papers for consideration by the National Assembly, overseeing preparation of the calendar of the National Assembly, weekly programme of House Business and preparation and timely circulation of Order Papers and Votes and Proceedings.

Ms Kioko will also supervise officers facilitating the House Business Committee, the National Assembly Powers and Privileges Committee and of the National Assembly Procedure and Rules Committee.

During her 28-year period of service she has served in various capacities including as the pioneer Director for Legislative and Procedural Services in the Senate; setting up and coordinating Senate operations, from the scratch, as the head of the core directorate.

She also undertook administrative roles and provided research services when necessary.

The handover ceremony took place at the Parliament Building during a National Assembly Service Board meeting following Ms Kioko’s appointment by the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) to assume the roles of the Clerk of the National Assembly in place of Mr Sialai whose tour of duty ends on July 31, upon retirement at age 60.

PSC however is expected to hire a new clerk in the next Parliament and should Ms Kioko be officially appointed, then she will serve a five-year term that will only be renewable once.

Speaking during the ceremony, Mr Sialai thanked the board for their support that has seen the National Assembly in what he said has made great strides in professionalising the Service and mainstreaming the service to respond better to members’ needs.

“I wish to sincerely thank you for your support during my tenure as Clerk. Together we have managed to do a lot and am happy that we have managed to mainstream our services to respond to the needs of our legislators and the citizenry in general,” he noted.

The National Assembly Board lauded Mr Sialai saying that he was leaving a mark of legacy during his tour of duty. They singled out the structuring of directorates and department in the National Assembly which has created opportunities for upward mobility of staff hence motivating them, and the alignment of skills to match tasks to respond better to the execution of the mandate of the National Assembly.

They wished him well in his next assignment but urged him to become an ambassador of the National Assembly of Kenya.

Mr Sialai who is set to join Foreign Service as Kenya’s Ambassador to Namibia later next month, was first appointed as a First Clerk Assistant of the National Assembly in 1996 and rose through the ranks to the position of Deputy Clerk. He was appointed as the Clerk of the National Assembly in 2017, a position he held until this nomination.

The House adjourned sittings indefinitely (sine die), following requests from members to cut short the business so that they can concentrate on election-related matters ahead of the August 9 polls.

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