Nairobi — Senate Speaker Amason Kingi has urged all 67 Senators in the 13th Parliament to "nurture a sense of Senatorial culture and patriotism" as they begin to discharge their mandate.

Kingi challenged the lawmakers to stamp their authority in bettering the operations of the Senate notably by building on the gains made by their predecessors.

"Our primary duty and responsibility shall always be to build confidence and trust among ourselves and among the people of Kenya," Kingi said on Tuesday as he opened the fourth induction retreat of members.

While discharging their mandate, Kingi urged the Senators to prioritize the implementation of devolution underscoring that it was part of their core mandate.

"I undertake to robustly and, as a matter of urgency, engage all the relevant stakeholders with a view of putting in place a system that ensures members are sufficiently facilitated in order for you to discharge your oversight responsibilities successfully, as spelled out in the Constitution," Kingi said.

Clerk of the Senate Jeremiah Nyegenye on his part implored the members to be bipartisan and deliver their mandate to Kenyans.

"I am confident that this Senate has what it takes to consolidate the gains made by the previous Senates, fine-tune existing grey areas and ultimately achieve the objects of devolution as envisaged under our Constitution," he said.

During the five-day retreat, Senators will be trained on different issues key among them understanding the workings and key legislative processes within the bicameral set-up of Parliament, Kenya's foreign policy, national security, and media relations.

"It is worth mentioning that more targeted training and capacity development activities will be mounted to deepen Senators' knowledge and skills in discharging various House Committees and leadership roles," Kingi said.

The theme for the retreat is "Understanding the Mandate of the Senate: Strengthening Devolution through Legislative Effectiveness."