Strat.1 Develop a Communication Strategy for the HoR with clear protocols, guidelines, and procedures to ensure consistency and clarity in internal communications
Strat.2 Implement digital platforms and tools for internal communication, such as email, intranet systems, and collaboration software. Also, the House will ensure secure messaging platforms for confidential communication among lawmakers and staff.
Strat.3 Provide training and workshops on effective communication skills for Members and staff.
Strat.4 Publish internal reports and relevant documents on a secure intranet system, accessible to all Members and staff.
Strat.5 Keep Members informed through electronic means about the progress of legislative proposals, upcoming debates, and voting schedules.
Strat.6 Continued Production of regular internal newsletters or publications that summarise legislative activities, achievements, and important updates
Strat.7 Strengthen the communications unit/ department in the House and the Office of the Speaker to manage better external communications, including media relations and digital outreach.
Strat.8 Develop a comprehensive communications strategy that outlines clear objectives, target audiences, key messages, and tactics for reaching the public and stakeholders.
Strat.9 Develop a dynamic and interactive website for the House of Representatives and integrate the existing Speaker’s Website to better engage with the public and publish activities of the House.
Strat.10 Maintain active social media accounts to reach a broader and younger audience. The House will provide updates, engage with constituents, and encourage public participation in discussions and surveys.
Strat.11 Issue regular press releases and updates on parliamentary activities, debates, and decisions and highlight the impact of legislative actions on the lives of citizens.
Specific Legislative Actions
Strat.1 The House of Representatives has developed an internal clear communication protocol used to ensure that parliamentary activities and decisions are clearly communicated, easily understood, and accessible to Members and staff.
Strat.2 "The House of Representatives has established electronic notice systems. Members now receive electronic versions of daily order papers, notices of motion, votes and proceedings, and committee schedules.
The House of Representatives leadership and committee clerks utilise group messaging platforms (such as secure WhatsApp or equivalent enterprise tools) to maintain rapid communication with Members."
Strat.3 "Through the induction and orientation programmes for newly elected Members, the National Assembly through its partnership with NGOs integrated modules on effective legislative communication
Also, through collaborations with NGOs, Development partners, private sectors and MDAs, the House of Representatives have facilitated periodic sessions and workshops that have focused on legislative communications"
Strat.4 There is no formally available information that the House of Representatives has a established a dedicated secure and centralized intranet platform
Strat.5 "The House of Representatives has established electronic notice systems. Members now receive electronic versions of daily order papers, notices of motion, votes and proceedings, and committee schedules.
The House of Representatives leadership and committee clerks utilise group messaging platforms (such as secure WhatsApp or equivalent enterprise tools) to maintain rapid communication with Members."
Strat.6 The House of Representatives, in addition to the internal newsletter, it has also leveraged on digital distribution channels that provides news and updates of plenary debates, resolutions, bill progressions, etc
Strat.7 The House of Representatives through the Office of the Speaker have dedicated teams for media relations. Although the Speaker does not operate a separate public website, the Speaker’s media office is being integrated into the broader communications framework.
Strat.8 The House of Representatives has developed an internal communication strategy used to ensure that parliamentary activities and decisions are clearly communicated, easily understood, and accessible to diverse segments of the population.
Strat.9 "The House of Representatives expanded its communication methods to not only include the website of the National Assembly but has also integrated the existing social media handles of the Speaker to engage with citizens.
There is no public information on an existing website dedicated specifically to the Speaker."
Strat.10 The House of Representatives established and has maintained active social media accounts which have served as primary channels for communicating legislative activities, decisions, and actions.
Strat.11 "The National Assembly Press Corps, alongside the House of Representatives Committee on Media and Public Affairs works to ensures that accurate information, press releases and other media inquiries are shared with the media and the public to clarify parliamentary actions.
The House of Representatives Press releases and updates have been integrated into digital platform and not limited to traditional media. They are shared across its social media channels and the official National Assembly website"
Internal and External Communications
Not started
In progress
Completed
Implementation Strategies
Strat.1 Improve all aspects of information sharing among Members of the National Assembly, between Committees, departments, and units of the National Assembly, and among staff.
Strat.2 Provide infrastructure for internal communications. The goal will be to develop an interdependent communications infrastructure that will be open, accessible, transparent, and seamless to build synergy and support service delivery on the institutional goals of the National Assembly.
Strat.3 Facilitate effective communication among House committees by providing them with the necessary resources and administrative support.
Strat.4 Provide background information, research findings, and analysis to help Members make informed decisions and improve the quality of debates. Internal mechanisms in the House and collaboration with support agencies (NILDS, NABRO) and civil society will also be strengthened.
Strat.5 Ensure secure messaging platforms for confidential communication among lawmakers and staff.
Strat.6 Develop and rehearse crisis communication plans to ensure that all Members and staff are well-prepared to respond to emergencies or unexpected events.
Strat.7 Create public awareness of the Legislature and the House through multimedia formats (videos, infographics, and podcasts) to make information more engaging and accessible.
Strat.8 Foster partnerships with civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and advocacy groups to collaborate on issues of mutual interest. We shall also seek input and feedback from these organisations on legislative proposals and policies
Strat.9 Ensure greater involvement of the public at public and investigative hearings.
Strat.10 Provide media training to parliamentarians to help them effectively communicate their views and the parliament’s activities to the public.
Strat.11 Publish House proceedings, agendas, and legislative documents on a publicly accessible website.
Specific Legislative Actions
Strat.1 The House of Representatives has developed an internal clear communication protocol used to ensure that parliamentary activities and decisions are clearly communicated, easily understood, and accessible to Members and staff.
Strat.2 "Some basic internal emails and platforms exist (WhatsApp groups, email lists), but there is no fully centralised, official platform operational yet.
Some Members and staff have official emails, but adoption is inconsistent and not yet system-wide. Most communication still happens through informal channels.
Significant improvements have been made, especially internet connectivity within the complex and ICT upgrades for legislative staff. However, gaps remain, especially for committee clerks and offices of individual Members."
Strat.3 "Committees have clerks and secretariat staff, but staffing levels are uneven. High-demand committees (Appropriations, Public Accounts, Defence) are better supported, but many committees operate with limited administrative staff.
Some improvement: official email accounts exist, but use is inconsistent. ICT tools are available to select committees but not yet standardised across all committees.
The Speaker and House leadership encourage improved committee functioning and coordination, but systemic tools and resources are not yet fully in place."
Strat.4 Some structures and partnerships exist, notably with NILDS, NABRO and collaboration with civil society and policy experts. However, where Members consistently receive timely, high-quality background information, research, and analysis across all issues — has not yet been achieve
Strat.5 There is no officially deployed secure messaging platform for lawmakers and staff. Most internal communication still occurs via personal WhatsApp groups, emails, or informal apps, which are not institutionally controlled or encrypted to enterprise standard.
Strat.6 No formal written crisis communication plan exists for Members and staff in the event of physical emergencies, cybersecurity incidents, or political crisis. Responses to past events have been reactive, not guided by a pre-existing crisis plan. Communication is often delayed or inconsistent.
Strat.7 No physical offices or dedicated desks have been set up by the House of Representatives in any of the State Houses of Assembly.
Strat.8 "CSOs are often invited to public hearings, especially on major reforms (e.g., electoral law, budget, security). However, consultations remain event-driven rather than embedded in legislative procedure.
Some Committees have collaborated with CSOs on specific issues, often facilitated by donor-funded programmes."
Strat.9 The public are regularly invited to contribute at public hearings, especially on high-profile legislation but many of this hearings remain poorly publicized and notifications for hearings are not always issued in good time, and outreach to the public remains weak, limiting public preparation and participation.
Strat.10 "No formal programme exists under the House of Representatives Communication Committee. Members have no compulsory or regular media training. Some Members have attended media engagement workshops organised by external partners but participation is voluntary and selective.
The House has not yet institutionalised or systematically provided media training for Members"
Strat.11 "The House of Representatives has made some progress in improving public access to legislative information online, but it is not yet comprehensive, timely, or consistent.
There is a National Assembly website that hosts certain documents, and there are some efforts to upload proceedings and legislative texts, but major gaps remain:
Not all proceedings, order papers, or committee reports are regularly published and updates are delayed."
Internal and External Communications
Not started
In progress
Completed
Implementation Strategies (STRAT)
Strat.1 Encourage House leadership to lead by example, promoting effective communication, transparency, and open dialogue.
Strat.2 Document all Committee activities especially legacy achievements in the next 4 years both electronically and in a publication. (Archival system)
Strat.3 Ensure the timely publication and dissemination of Hansard.
Strat.4 The online ‘NASSTV’ will be sustained as a television channel for legislative proceedings and a platform where Committee Chairmen and Members can relay the progress of the work of their respective Committees to citizens.
Specific Legislative Actions
Strat.1 The House of Representatives leadership has shown efforts to communicate better and engage the public, especially on key national issues. However, these actions are not yet systematic, institutionalised, or consistent across all areas of legislative work. Leadership communication remains largely reactive and symbolic, rather than part of a formal culture of transparency and open dialogue.
Strat.2 "The House of Representatives has not achieved this goal. There is no structured effort to document committee activities and legacy achievements electronically or in publication.
Current documentation practices are fragmented, primarily manual, and not accessible for institutional learning or public transparency."
Strat.3 "The 10th House of Representatives does produce Hansard, meaning records of plenary debates are transcribed. However, publication is delayed, often by weeks or months.
Access to Hansard is not widespread — hard copies are available internally, but digital access is limited, and there is no dedicated, publicly accessible, up-to-date online platform for prompt dissemination.
Efforts to digitise and improve timeliness have been discussed but not fully implemented.
Development partners have previously supported capacity building for the Hansard Unit, but institutional bottlenecks remain."
Strat.4 The NASSTV is operational and regularly streams plenary sessions and committee activities of both the House of Representatives and Senate.
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