1. The Committee of the whole House

A Committee of the Whole House is a device in which a legislative body or other deliberative assembly is considered one large committee.  All members of the legislative body are members of such a committee.  This is usually done for the purposes of discussion and debate of the details of bills and other main motions. The committee is chaired by the deputy speaker as chair of committees. Application of rules of procedure·

Provide procedural and other advice to committee Chairs and Members

• Advice covers a wide range of issues including parliamentary privilege, committee powers and statutory interpretation.
• Assist and enhance Members’ roles and contributions as committee Members and Chairs;
• Facilitate public sector and community awareness of, and involvement in, committee work
• Provide independent research, drafting and impartial procedural support to committees
• Draft reports must reflect the evidence and research gathered by the committee during the course of an inquiry and the directions of the Chair and the committee.

2. Select Committees

Select Committee is a permanent committee established by Standing Orders of Assembly. It may study matters referred to it by special order or, within its area of responsibility in the Standing Orders, may undertake studies on its own initiative. They are listed below.

1. Sectoral Committees

The functions of a Sectoral Committee are to-

1. Investigate, inquire into, and report on all matters relating to the mandate, management, activities, administration, operations and estimates of the assigned departments
2. Study the programme and policy objectives of departments and the effectiveness of the implementation
3. Study and review all county legislation referred to it
4. Study, assess and analyze the relative success of the departments as measured by the results obtained as compared with their stated objectives
5. Investigate and inquire into all matters relating to the assigned departments as they may deem necessary, and as may be referred to them by the Assembly concerning international treaties and conventions. Few bills were sent to
6. To vet and report on appointments where the Constitution or any law requires the Assembly to approve
7. Make reports and recommendations to the Assembly as often as possible, including recommendation of proposed legislation.

2. Committee on Appointments

According to the Kisii County Assembly Standing Orders, there is a select committee designated the Committee on Appointments to be appointed by the Assembly, consisting of the Speaker as a Chairperson, the Leader of the Majority Party, the Leader of the Minority party and three other Members nominated by the House Business Committee, on the basis of proportional Party Membership in the Assembly taking into consideration the numerical strength of the Parties and interests of Independent Members.

The Committee on Appointments is appointed within seven days when a new Assembly sits and serves for period of three years and that appointed thereafter serves for the remainder of the term of the Assembly. The Committee on Appointments considers, for approval by the Assembly, appointments under Articles 179(2) (Members of County Executive Committees).

3. County Budget and Appropriations Committee

The County Budget and Appropriations Committee consists of a chairperson, and not more than eight other Members. The functions of the Committee are-

1. Investigate, inquire into and report on all matters related to coordination, control and monitoring of the of the county budget,
2. Discuss and review the estimates and make recommendations to the Assembly;
3. Examine the County Budget Policy Statement presented to the Assembly;
4. Examine Bills related to the national budget, including Appropriations Bills; and
5. Evaluate tax estimates, economic and budgetary policies and programmes with direct budget outlays.

The County Budget and Appropriations Committee constituted by the Assembly immediately following the general election serves for a period of three calendar years and that constituted thereafter serves for the remainder of the Assembly term.

4. Committee on Implementation

The work of the Committee on Implementation is to scrutinize the resolutions of the Assembly (including adopted committee reports), petitions and the undertakings given by the County Executive Committee and examine –

1. Whether or not such decisions and undertakings have been implemented and where implemented, the extent to which they have been implemented; and whether such implementation has taken place within the minimum time necessary
2. Whether or not legislation passed by the Assembly has been operationalized and where operationalized, the extent to which such operationalization has taken place within the minimum time necessary.
3. The Committee may propose to the Assembly, sanctions against any member of the County Executive Committee who fails to report to the relevant select Committee on implementation status without justifiable reasons.

3. House Keeping Committees

The mandate of House Keeping Committees is to ensure that the business of the Assembly is running smoothly. The committees are:

1. House Business Committee –

The work of the House Business Committee is to:

1. Prepare and, if necessary, adjust the Assembly Calendar with the approval of the Assembly;
2. Monitor and oversee the implementation of the Assembly Business and programmes.

• Implement the Standing Orders respecting the scheduling or programming of the business of the Assembly and the functioning of the Committees of the Assembly;

1. Determine the order in which the reports of Committees shall be debated in the Assembly;
2. Make decisions and issue directives and guidelines to prioritize or postpone any business of the Assembly acting with the concurrence of the Leader of the Majority Party or the Leader of the Minority Party, as the case may be.
3. Consider such matters as may from time to time arise in connection with the business of the Assembly and shall have and perform such powers and functions as are conferred on and ascribed to it by these Standing Orders or from time to time by the Assembly.

The members of the committee are:

(a) The Speaker who is the chairperson;

(b) The Leader of the Majority Party;

(c) The Leader of the Minority Party; and

(d) Not less than two other members nominated by Assembly parties and approved by the Assembly at the commencement of every session, reflecting the relative majorities of the seats held by each of the Assembly parties in the Assembly and taking into consideration the interests of independents. The House Business Committee is appointed within seven days on assembly of a new Assembly. In nominating the Members to the House Business Committee, each Assembly party shall include its Whip into the membership.

If, for any reason, a member of the House Business Committee is unable to attend, the Leader in the Assembly of the party which nominated that Member may appoint another Member in that Member’s place for the period for which the Member is unable to attend.

2. Committee on Selection

The Selection Committee consists of the Leader of the Majority party who is the chairperson, the Leader of the Minority party and not less than two other members nominated by Assembly parties and approved by the Assembly. The committee nominates members to serve in Committees, save for the membership of the House Business Committee and Committee on Appointments.

3. Assembly Procedure and Rules Committee

The Assembly Procedure and Rules Committee comprise the Speaker as chairperson, the Chairperson of Committees and not more than three other Members. It considers and reports on all matters relating to the Standing Orders. The committee may propose amendments to the Standing Orders. Upon approval by the Assembly, and any such amendments take effect at the time appointed by the Assembly. It may also propose rules for the orderly and effective conduct of committee business. Upon the approval of the Assembly, any such rules continue in force until amended or repealed by the Assembly. These rules are annexed to the Standing Orders and are binding upon Committees to the same extent as the Standing Orders.

4. Committee of Privileges

The Committee of Privileges consists of the Speaker, who is the chair, and ten other members of the Assembly. The quorum of the committee is six members including the chairperson. The Committee of Privileges, either of its own motion or as a result of a complaint made by any person, inquiries into any alleged breach of order by any member of the Assembly, or into any conduct of any member of the Assembly within the precincts of the Assembly (other than the Chamber) which is alleged to have been intended or likely to reflect adversely on the dignity or integrity of the Assembly or the member thereof, or to be contrary to the best interests of the Assembly or the members thereof.

The committee after such inquiry reports its findings to the Assembly together with such recommendations as it thinks appropriate. After considering the report, and the recommendations of the committee, the Assembly may take such disciplinary action against the member concerned as may be provided by the rules of the Assembly, which may include suspension from the service of the Assembly.

5. Liaison Committee

The Liaison Committee consists of the Chairperson of Committees as the chairperson and the chairpersons of all committees of the Assembly.

The committee: This committee also considers reports of Committee that have not been deliberated by the Assembly and reports to the Assembly on the consideration of such reports.

4. Watchdog Committees

County Public Accounts and Investments Committee

The Public Accounts and Investments Committee is a watchdog committee. Its role is to examine:

1. Guides and co-ordinates the operations, policies and mandates of all Committees
2. Deliberates on and apportions the annual operating budget among the Committees

• Considers the programmes of all the Committees, including their need to travel and sit away from the precincts of Assembly

1. Ensures that Committees submit reports as required by these Standing Orders
2. Determines, whenever necessary the committee or committees to deliberate on any matter
3. Gives such advice relating to the work and mandate of select committees as it may consider necessary;
4. The accounts showing the appropriations of the sum voted by the House to meet the public expenditure and of such other accounts laid before the House as the Committee may think fit.
5. The reports and accounts of all county public investments.

• The reports, if any, of the Auditor General on the public investments; and

1. Whether the affairs of the public investments, are being managed in accordance with sound financial or business principles and prudent commercial practices.
2. The committee does not examine any of the following-
3. Matters of major Government policy as distinct from business or commercial functions of the public investments;
4. Matters of day-to-day administration; and,

• Matters for the consideration of which machinery is established by any special statute under which a particular public investment is established.

The County Public Accounts and Investments Committee consist of a chairperson and not less than three other Members. The County Public Accounts and Investments Committee constituted immediately following the general election serves for a period of three calendar years and that Constituted thereafter serves for the remainder of the Assembly term.

1. Ad Hoc Select Committees

These are formed by a County Assembly as and whenever the need arises to investigate study and make recommendations on certain specific matters and issues which need consideration and solution. An Ad hoc committee is dissolved as soon as they have completed the matter or bill referred to them, and a report made to the Assembly on the same.