What is a petition?
A petition means a written prayer to the Assembly by a member of the public requesting the Assembly to consider any matter within its authority, including enacting, amending or repealing any legislation.
Who can petition County Assembly?
The right to petition Assembly is the right of every citizen of the County and is provided for in the Standing Orders. Any person, groups of people or an organization has the right to petition Assembly.
Form of Petition
A petition shall-
- Be handwritten, printed or typed;
- Be in English or Kiswahili and be written in respectful, decorous and temperate language;
- Be free of alterations and interlineations in its text;
- Be addressed to the Assembly;
- Have its subject-matter indicated on every sheet if it consists of more than one sheet;
- Indicate whether any efforts have been made to have the matter addressed by a relevant body and whether there has been any response from that body or whether the response has been unsatisfactory;
- Indicate whether the issues in respect of which the petition is made are pending before any court of law or other Constitutional or Legal body.;
- Conclude with a clear, proper and respectful prayer, reciting the definite object of the petitioner or petitioners in regard to the matter to which it relates;
- Subject to paragraph (m), contain the names, addresses, identification numbers, signature or a thumb impression of the petitioner or of every petitioner, where there is more than one petitioner;
- Contain only signatures or thumb impressions, as the case may be, and addresses and identification numbers written directly onto the petition and not pasted thereon or otherwise transferred to it;
- Not have any letters, affidavits or other documents annexed to it;
- In the case of a petition presented by a Member on behalf of a petitioner, be countersigned by the Member presenting it; and
- Be signed by the petitioner or if the petitioner is unable to sign, by a witness in whose presence the petitioner shall make his or her mark on the petition.
Submission of a Petition
A petition to the Assembly shall be-
- Submitted to the Clerk by the petitioner and reported to the Assembly by the Speaker; or
- Presented by a Member on behalf of a petitioner, with the consent of the Speaker.