National Assembly Clerk meets Africa Colloquium of Legal Counsel discusses areas of collaboration

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬, 𝐍𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢 

National Assembly Clerk Mr Samuel Njoroge held a meeting with the leadership of the Africa Colloquium of Legal Counsels to Parliaments where they discussed areas of collaboration to build capacity of staff in the department.

Mr. Njoroge affirmed Kenya’s commitment to supporting the capacity-building efforts by the organization as he emphasised the importance of knowledge exchange.

"I value the work done by the Africa Colloquium of Legal Counsels and we are ready to work together to enhance the ability of their members to provide professional and independent legal guidance to their respective Houses," said Mr Njoroge.

Members of the Africa Colloquium of Legal Counsels who met the Clerk were led by 

Dr. Johnson Okello, the Director Legal Services at the Senate who is also the Secretary General in the Council of the Colloquium

Other members included, Mr. Fares Hamad, Legal Advisor and Director Legal Services and Litigation, Parliament of Libya, Ms. Tangella Sam deputy Director Office of the Law Clerk, Sierra Leone Parliament, Ms. Thoko Gumedze drafter Parliament of Eswatini) and Dr Abdukadir Hashim, advocate of the High court of Kenya and lecturer University of Nairobi among others.

The Africa Colloquium of Legal Counsels to Parliaments members are in the country for their annual conference held in Nairobi.

Mr. Njoroge noted that the National Assembly had strengthened its legal department through hiring of adequate qualified and competent officers who were key in drafting of Bills and handling cases filed against the House.

He added: "Unlike 15 years ago when the National Assembly relied on the Executive for legal services, it now has in-house legal counsels managing legislative matters independently".

He added: “The landscape has shifted. Today, even the Executive seeks the expertise of our legal department in drafting government bills".

Ms. Tangella Sam, Deputy Director in the Office of the Clerk at the Sierra Leone Parliament, expressed admiration for Kenya’s parliamentary legal framework, stating that her country was keen to benchmark Kenya.

“Kenya is significantly ahead in parliamentary operations, especially in bill drafting, and we look forward to learning from this experience,” she noted.

The Africa Colloquium of Legal Counsels to Parliaments serves as a platform for legal advisors across African legislatures to collaborate, share experiences, and enhance their ability to provide professional and independent legal guidance to their respective Houses.