Nairobi — The 3rd National Annual Symposium on Public Participation is scheduled to be held in Naivasha, Kenya beginning May 26, 2023.

The symposium is organized by the Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Training in collaboration with other Services of Parliament, including the National Assembly, Senate, and Parliamentary Joint Services (PJS).

The event will be officially opened by the Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetang'ula, and closed by his Senate counterpart Amason Jeffah Kingi.

The primary objective of the symposium is to provide a platform for professionals working in the governance sector, such as parliamentary training institutes (PTIs), legislative staff, academia, and non-state actors, to engage in robust discussions and share knowledge and best practices.

The two-day convention will focus on examining best practices and strategies for effective public participation and exploring ways to accelerate the realization of this vision. It will also address emerging challenges in public participation.

A total of 37 presenters will be participating in the forum, presenting their papers either in person or virtually.

Eleven of these presenters are from the Parliamentary Service Commission, and notable among them are legislators Martha Wangari (Gilgil) and John Ariko Namoit (Turkana South).

Their papers will cover topics such as "Empowered Citizens for a More Responsive Legislature" and "The Role of Research in Promoting Effective Public Participation in Kenya," respectively.

The Executive Director of the Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Training, Prof. Nyokabi Kamau, along with other senior officers from the Parliamentary Service Commission, will also be presenting papers during the symposium.

The conference is structured to include five concurrent sessions, where both national and international presenters will deliver invaluable presentations.