Kisumu: National Assembly Deputy Speaker, Gladys Boss Shollei, has called on Parliament and public institutions to modernise record-keeping systems, warning that poor documentation continues to weaken transparency, accountability and institutional memory in the country. Speaking during the opening of the 8th Annual Conference of the Hansard Association of Kenya (HAK) in Kisumu, Shollei said credible records remain the backbone of democratic governance and public trust.
According to Kenya News Agency, Shollei highlighted that despite major advances in technology, many institutions still struggle to maintain accessible and reliable records, with some deliberately resisting transparency. She pointed out that many institutions and agencies of government face difficulties in keeping records or storing them in an easy and accessible manner, partly due to a lack of enthusiasm for transparency.
The Deputy Speaker praised Parliament for preserving legislative records even during periods when democratic space was restricted, applauding Hansard Officers as silent custodians of the country's political and legislative history. Shollei traced Kenya's parliamentary journey from Independence in 1963 to the 2010 Constitution, noting that the return of multi-party democracy and the advent of devolution significantly expanded the role of Hansard reporting.
She remarked that the creation of the Senate and 47 County Assemblies transformed legislative reporting from a national function into a devolved democratic tool essential for oversight and public participation. Shollei stated that at least 37 County Assemblies now have operational Hansard departments, describing this development as a major gain for accountability at the grassroots.
'The Hansard is no longer confined to the national Parliament. It now operates across County Assemblies, capturing legislative discourse at multiple levels of governance,' she said. Shollei urged legislative institutions to invest in digital archiving, real-time transcription technologies, and harmonised reporting standards to improve efficiency without compromising accuracy and neutrality.
She also advocated for the establishment of a formal professional curriculum for Hansard officers through the Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Training, emphasizing the increasing specialization of the profession in the digital age. Drawing from her experience at Kenya Law Reports, Shollei recalled how poor documentation once crippled access to legal information, forcing reliance on photocopied judgments and handwritten records. The digitisation of legal archives later transformed access to justice and positioned Kenya among the first African countries to make legal information freely accessible online.
Clerk of the Senate Jeremiah Nyegenye acknowledged the impact of AI-powered transcription tools in revolutionising legislative reporting, but stressed that human expertise remained indispensable in interpreting context, tone, and parliamentary nuance. 'The Hansard reporter of the future must evolve into a hybrid professional - technically proficient and digitally literate,' he said.
Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly Serah Kioko emphasized that while Hansard had evolved from handwritten notes and analogue recordings into sophisticated digital reporting systems, its core responsibility remained unchanged. 'The Hansard becomes far more than a transcript. It becomes the institutional memory of Parliament and part of the democratic memory of the nation itself,' she said.
The week-long conference has brought together Hansard professionals from Parliament, County Assemblies, and regional legislatures to deliberate on technology, accessibility, multilingualism, and the future of legislative reporting in Africa.