By Tajeu Shadrack Nkapapa
The Parliamentary Service Commission of Kenya has continued to exemplify the standards for democratic legislatures, as demonstrated by the recent visit from the Transitional National Legislature of the Republic of South Sudan.
This benchmarking mission aimed to improve the effectiveness of South Sudan’s newly established commission, thereby enhancing the legislative and oversight capabilities of its Parliament.
Hon. Moses Wetang’ula, the Speaker of the National Assembly and Chairman of the Parliamentary Service Commission, welcomed the delegation led by Chairman Hon. Stephen Ajongo Akol.
Mr. Akol conveyed their eagerness to learn from Kenya’s commission, which has established itself as a leader in the region and across the continent.
“We are here for benchmarking, our commission is new” said Hon. Akol.
“We saw that PSC (Kenya) has the best practice, we came to look at how to do it practically,” added Hon. Wani as her counterpart Hon. Regina Aban stressed their quest to rise to the level Kenya had reached in achieving democracy.
Speaker Wetang’ula recognized the Republic of South Sudan as the youngest Republic in both the East African Community (EAC) and the world, highlighting Kenya’s significant contribution to the peace initiatives that led to its establishment. He expressed his willingness to offer assistance.
Recalling the independence celebrations on July 9, 2011, in Juba, where he was present with the UN Secretary-General in his capacity as Kenya’s Foreign Minister, Wetang’ula emphasized Kenya’s steadfast commitment to facilitating the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
“Your country was midwifed in Kenya. The peace you enjoy today is, in many ways, a product of Kenya’s dedication to ensuring stability in the region, we will be proud when you succeed,” he remarked
“As Chairman of the Parliamentary Service Commission, the Speaker, reaffirmed his commitment to supporting them in developing robust parliamentary systems encouraging them to visit the Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Training (CPST), a premier resource hub for capacity building and training of Members of Parliament (both national and county) and parliamentary staff on effective legislative practices,” Parliament said on an X post.
“We are regularly visited by colleagues from the Continent, we also visit other jurisdictions to share best practices,” the Speaker added.
The National Assembly highlighted that the South Sudanese delegation expressed their appreciation for Kenya’s parliamentary framework, highlighting the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) and noting its progress in enhancing parliamentary independence, governance reforms, and legislative effectiveness.
“If we are to undertake significant reforms, we must look to Kenya. We have learned invaluable lessons from this visit,” said Hon. Wani.
Parliament additionally conveyed that South Sudanese officials expressed admiration for Kenya’s approach to parliamentary management, encompassing aspects such as staff welfare and legislative drafting services.
Speaker Wetang’ula elaborated on the development of Kenya’s Parliamentary Service Commission, which shifted from being under presidential authority to becoming an autonomous body in accordance with the 2010 Constitution.