The new chamber was refurbished at a cost of Sh960 million
Parliament has announced plans to build a modern office complex to accommodate the expanded 418-member assembly that will be in office after the forthcoming general elections.
The Clerk of the National Assembly, Patrick Gichohi, said work on the proposed 26-storey building will begin in the fiscal year starting July 1, 2012 and will take three years to complete.
“We have factored in the budget Sh500 million to start the works after the Treasury and the Parliamentary Service Commission gave approvals,” Mr Gichohi said adding that tenders will be floated once the Ministry of Public Works finalises the designs.
The proposed building will be constructed on a one-acre plot between County Hall and Continental House in Nairobi where MPs already have offices. The land was allocated to Parliament by the government in 2000.
“The expanded Parliament of 350 MPs and 68 Senators requires us to erect a building to provide them with working space,” he said.
In addition to the proposed office block, Parliament will spend Sh1.2 billion during the next financial year to acquire Protection House from the Ministry of Housing and a further Sh700 million to purchase a yet-to-be-identified building within the proposed parliamentary square enclosed by Parliament Road, City Hall Way, Uhuru Highway and Haile Selassie Avenue.
Another Sh700 million will be spent on the refurbishment of the Senate Chambers, commonly known as the Old Chamber which is currently used by MPs for debates.
MPs will on Tuesday move into the new chamber, which was refurbished at a cost of Sh960 million, paving way for the refurbishment of the old chamber in readiness for the 68-member senate that will take office after the March 4, 2013 polls.
