Article 107. Presiding in Parliament
Official Constitutional Text
107. (1) At any sitting of a House of Parliament—
(a) the Speaker presides;
(b) in the absence of the Speaker, the Deputy Speaker presides; and
(c) in the absence of the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, another member of the House elected by the House presides.
(2) At a joint sitting of the Houses of Parliament, the Speaker of the National Assembly shall preside, assisted by the Speaker of the Senate.
Plain English Explanation
This is a simplified summary to explain this article in clear language. It is not the legal text of the Constitution.
Article 107 of the Kenyan Constitution outlines who has the authority to lead and control parliamentary debates during official sessions. It establishes a clear chain of command for daily sittings, dictating that the Speaker must preside over the house, with leadership passing to the Deputy Speaker if the Speaker is absent. If both the Speaker and Deputy Speaker are away, the members present in the chamber must vote to elect an ordinary member from the floor to run that specific session. Finally, for special occasions where the National Assembly and the Senate meet together in a joint sitting, the article mandates that the Speaker of the National Assembly takes the primary lead, supported and assisted by the Speaker of the Senate.