Parliament criticised over weak legislative delivery

(Photo credit: New Era Publication)

The National Assembly has come under fire from public policy analysts for failing to pass any meaningful legislation in 2025, aside from the national budget, as the legislature ended its session weeks early.

Dr. Marius Kudumo, a local public policy analyst, expressed serious concern, noting that “this is the worst legislative performance since independence.” He warns that the early adjournment and lack of bills passed reflect structural inefficiencies that could undermine governance.

Electoral and civic watchdogs have also raised alarms. The adjournment, which some say was abrupt, comes at a time when public trust in Parliament is already under strain.

A review of the 2022–2023 National Assembly report shows that while 20 bills were tabled, only 16 were passed without amendments. Meanwhile, the NBC reports that MPs have voiced frustrations over limited staff capacity and infrastructure challenges, including the lack of policy analysts in Parliament.

Kudumo argues that these issues call for a serious reform of the parliamentary process, including better resourcing for legal drafting and stronger oversight mechanisms.