The Cabinet has approved the establishment of a special committee on pending bills.

The Pending Bills Verification Committee will be tasked with the auditing of liabilities for the period between 2005 and 2022.

In a meeting chaired by President William Ruto at State House, the Cabinet noted that pending bills remains a sticky issue.

The National Government pending bills since June 2005 to June 2022 stand at Ksh 481 billion while counties owe Ksh 159.9 billion.

The Committee will consist the Attorney General, the State Department of Roads, the State Department of Public Works, the State Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Public Procurement Regulatory Authority.

Representatives of the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Law Society of Kenya, the Institute of Engineers of Kenya and the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya will also be part of the team.

The Committee will examine and submit interim reports to the Treasury Cabinet Secretary upon verification. The Government will honour the obligation in question.

The move is aimed at establishing the integrity of all bills and cushioning small enterprises against liquidity inadequacies.

Crucially, the committee will propose a mechanism to stop future pending bills.

It was agreed that the Committee will present its final report within a year.

Meanwhile, the Cabinet has approved the establishment of decentralised offices of the Attorney General and the Department of Justice.

This will ensure that services are accessible to the people at the grassroots at a minimal cost.

It also consented to the transmission and introduction of Tribunals Bill, 2023, to Parliament.

If enacted, the Bill will rationalise and regulate the administration and functions of Tribunals, establish the Tribunals Registry and ensure independence and impartiality in their operations.

The Cabinet also confirmed the hosting of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in Kenya, furthering Government’s commitment to affordable and quality healthcare.

The importance of working with the private sector in the areas of Universal Healthcare informed the decision to host the Gates Foundation.

The Cabinet was also apprised on the status of the Digital Superhighway and digitalization of Government services ahead of the launch of over 5000 fully digitized services on Friday June 30th.

Further, the meeting was briefed on the drought and food situation in the country, with the forecast indicating an improved situation.

In line with getting women issues at the centre of his administration, President Ruto cleared the Advisor on Women Rights Harriette Chiggai to be attending the meeting.