Parliamentary committees to convene ahead of second House sitting

By Katare Mbashiru

Dodoma. Meetings of Parliamentary Standing Committees are set to begin next Tuesday, January 13, 2026, with lawmakers expected to deliberate on four key issues ahead of the second sitting of the 13th Parliament.

According to a statement issued by Parliament’s Communications Unit, Members of Parliament (MPs) have been instructed to report to the capital, Dodoma, on Monday.

This will be the second meeting of all legislators since the October 29, 2025 General Election. President Samia Suluhu Hassan inaugurated the 13th Parliament on November 14, 2025, during which she addressed challenges that arose during the polls and pledged to establish a commission of inquiry, which has since been formed.

In a statement released on January 6, 2026, Parliament said MPs would sit in committees from January 13 to 23, 2026, as part of preparations for the second meeting of the House, scheduled to start on January 27, 2026.

During the nearly two-week period, MPs will focus on four main areas. One will be the election of chairpersons and vice-chairpersons of Parliamentary Standing Committees in accordance with Rule 138 of the Parliamentary Standing Orders.

Another task will involve committees familiarising themselves with the ministries and institutions under their oversight, as well as selected policies and laws, in line with their mandates as outlined in the Standing Orders.

Committee members will also be oriented on their core responsibilities, while the Budget Committee will prepare motions to be debated by the National Assembly.

During the same period, three parliamentary chairpersons may be elected from among committee chairpersons to assist the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Mussa Zungu, and his deputy, Mr Daniel Sillo.

By parliamentary tradition, the second meeting of Parliament is dedicated to debating the President’s address, after which MPs adopt a joint resolution on her statements and directives.

When inaugurating Parliament during the previous session, the Head of State asked the Speaker to explore ways of facilitating debate on her speech and to formulate recommendations to enable the government to fully implement its pledges.