Role of Parliamentary Institutions in International Relations: the Case of Parliament of Kenya
Abstract
Parliamentary diplomacy is an emerging concept in the international arena. Legislators
and delegations of parliament are involved in different activities aimed at enhancing
international relations among countries or entities. This study examines the Kenya
parliament engagement in international relations and role in international parliamentary
institutions. The study is an exploratory qualitative design that relies on reports from the
various international parliamentary institutions, protocols, and resolutions. The
theoretical framework relied on is international relations theory. The exploratory
qualitative design has been used. The Kenya??™s parliament has been chosen because of the
engagement with Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (CPA), Pan African
Parliamentary (PAP), East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and other international
parliamentary institution activities such Canadian African Parliamentary Association
(CAPA) and the Conferences of Speakers of Parliament. Secondary data derived from
reports and journals of identified international parliamentary organization has been used.
Qualitative content analysis guided the analysis and reporting of findings. The three
international parliamentary institutions were found to have different institutional
structures and mode of operations. The CPA and PAP have members derived from
member country seating parliamentarians while EALA is unique as the assembly
members are nominated based on strengths of political parties in respective countries.
The parliamentarians meet at stipulated times in different member countries to discuss
ranging topical issues such as gender inclusion, climate change, peace, terrorism, and
security, and African economic issues. Each of the parliamentary institutions was formed
after the parent organizations created a resolutions to have legislative functions
embedded in the operations. EALA has a parent in East African Community; PAP is a
product of deliberations of African Union and the African Commission; and CPA has its
original in Commonwealth that brings together former British colonies and protectorates.
The Kenyan parliament has actively been engaged in peace and security promotion and
restoration in Somalia, Southern Sudan, and the Burundi Crises. The PAP has been
involved in arbitration in the conflicts of Chad, Libya, and the transition in Egypt
following the challenges of Arab Spring. The study identifies challenges in Kenyan
parliamentary engagement internationally. One is the seasonality of seating
parliamentarians who are elected every five years and therefore every time the members
have to be reoriented into the international parliamentary functions. The interparliamentary
engagements are autonomous in nature and their ratification of the laws,
statutes, and resolutions is not guaranteed in member states. This puts a case for
parliamentary diplomacy. There should be away to have the laws, statutes and resolutions
to be made bidding to the member countries. The study recommends further studies be
focused on specific case studies such direct contribution to peace and security,
development and environmental sustainability, territorial disputes, ethnic instigated
violence, and election rigging and instability.
Key words: Parliamentary Institutions, Parliamentary diplomacy, International Relations
Publisher
UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI
Collections
- Final [891]