Senate Takes Parliament to the People as Kilifi Hosts Fifth ‘Senate Mashinani’
By News Brief
KILIFI, KENYA — Senators have concluded a week-long Senate Mashinani engagement in Kilifi County, bringing parliamentary proceedings, committee work and public outreach closer to residents as the initiative entered its fifth edition since the advent of devolution.
The week-long programme saw Senators undertake committee meetings, engage members of the public through outreach sessions and interact with schoolchildren, some of whom had the opportunity to follow proceedings from the galleries of the Kilifi County Assembly Chamber.
The engagement provided residents with an opportunity to gain a closer understanding of the work of the Senate, including its constitutional mandate of legislation, representation and oversight.
The Senate leadership expressed appreciation to the people of Kilifi County for their hospitality, as well as the Kilifi County Assembly, led by Speaker Hon. Catherine Kenya, and the county leadership under Governor Gideon Mung’aro for supporting the successful hosting of the parliamentary sittings.
Senators and parliamentary staff were also commended for facilitating the 2026 edition of Senate Mashinani, an initiative designed to strengthen interaction between Parliament and citizens across the country.
The Constitution of Kenya and the Senate Standing Orders provide for the Senate to conduct its business from different locations within the country, allowing the institution to undertake its constitutional responsibilities beyond its traditional parliamentary setting.
Senate Mashinani is intended to bring the Senate closer to the people while strengthening parliamentary outreach and engagement with County Assemblies and County Governments.
The annual initiative also seeks to promote devolution by creating opportunities for Senators, county leaders and members of the public to interact directly, while helping Kenyans better understand the role and functions of the Senate.
The conclusion of the Kilifi sittings marks another chapter in the Senate’s efforts to take parliamentary engagement beyond Nairobi and closer to the communities it represents.
