National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has challenged Kenyan legislators attending the 69th Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference in Cape Town, South Africa, to use the forum to advance Kenya’s interests and share the country’s parliamentary experiences with other member states.
Wetang’ula said the conference offered Kenyan MPs an opportunity to exchange ideas, learn from other legislatures and identify best practices that could improve democracy, accountability and legislative effectiveness at home.
The Speaker spoke after meeting the Kenyan delegation in Cape Town, where he briefed members on the conference programme and key engagements.
He urged the legislators to participate actively in the discussions, saying Kenya had built a strong tradition of contributing to Commonwealth parliamentary affairs.
“Kenya has been an active member of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association and this conference provides an opportunity for you to deliberate on ideas that can strengthen our legislative roles, reinforce parliaments and enhance accountability,” Dr Wetang’ula said.
The week-long conference brings together more than 700 parliamentarians from across the Commonwealth to discuss issues affecting legislatures and citizens.
Dr Wetang’ula said Kenya’s participation should go beyond attendance and contribute to practical solutions to challenges facing parliaments across the Commonwealth.
He also called for greater commitment by member countries towards strengthening the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association, saying effective cooperation was necessary to build responsive and accountable legislative institutions.
The Speaker welcomed discussions on the participation of women in Parliament, saying they would provide an opportunity to address political and institutional barriers that continue to affect women’s participation in leadership and legislative processes.
He encouraged Kenyan women MPs to take advantage of the conference to build networks, pursue leadership opportunities and exchange experiences with their counterparts.
“I encourage our female legislators to take advantage of the opportunities available through this conference, including leadership positions and networking platforms that can enhance their contributions to public service,” he said.
Dr Wetang’ula also backed efforts to make parliaments more accessible and inclusive to persons with disabilities.
He said discussions on the participation of legislators living with disabilities should focus on creating parliamentary institutions that remove barriers and enable them to contribute fully to legislative processes.
The conference will also examine climate adaptation and resilience, the use of artificial intelligence in parliamentary processes and other emerging challenges and opportunities facing legislatures.
Dr Wetang’ula thanked the Parliament of South Africa for hosting the conference and said the discussions would help deepen cooperation among Commonwealth legislatures.
