The Serjeant At Arms himself /herself is the Housekeeper of Parliament Building responsible for the maintenance of the building ,furniture ,equipment , provision of refreshments, general cleanliness of the institution and ceremonial duties.

BACKGROUND

Historically , within the Commonwealth ,the Serjeant -At-Arms (SAA) was ,and still is a Senior Official of Parliament responsible for security , housekeeping and ceremonial duties .He/ she carries the mace which is the symbol of authority of the Speaker or President of the Senate when leading the procession to and from  the Chamber during sitting days.

DEPARTMENTAL STRUCTURE

The Serjeant -At- Arms department comprises of three sections namely housekeeping , canteen and orderlies. The establishment has 2 Serjeant -At -Arms posts ( National Assembly and Senate ), 2 Principal Housekeepers ,Senior Housekeepers ,canteen supervisor ,canteen staff, Machine Operator and orderlies. It is one of the 5 departments reporting to the Chief Director Human Resources and Administration.

MISSION STATEMENT

To provide Housekeeping services ,an efficient mail delivery service and quality catering service to staff as well as to Members of Parliament and  perform ceremonial duties in accordance with Parliament tradition.

VALUES

  • Confidentiality
  • Dedication
  • Honesty
  • Teamwork
  • Innovativeness
  • Pro activeness

SERVICES PROVIDED

 The Serjeant- At -Arms ,through the Housekeeping section ,oversees the Stores management function, cleanliness,ceremonial duties, maintenance of presiding officers official residences, Parliament  building and its surroundings . Aligned to this is the arrangement for contracting services for maintenance of immovable equipment ( elevators : generator ),catering, laundry, gardening ,cleaning  services and rentals for leased offices . Storage and distribution of utensils,uniforms, provisions, cleaning detergents, linen electrical, and plumbing materials is another function performed by the department .

The delivery of mail within and outside the building is carried out by Orderlies . They also provide teas and water for Committees, during sittings of Parliament Orderlies perform Chamber duties. A specialized and qualified group of Orderlies is designated as canteen staff .The staff canteen provide lunch to staff at a subsidized fee of USD 1-00 per plate per day or equivalent in local currency.. They also provide boiling water for staff teas on request. . On sitting days only ,lunch is provided to Members of Parliament and staff at the members dining at a subsidized fee .

Photocopying services  to Members of Parliament and staff in Office 6 Ground Floor.

CEREMONIAL AND OTHER DUTIES

In addition to the Housekeeping duties referred above , the Serjeant -At-Arms is responsible for carrying the mace when leading the Speaker /President of the Senate’s procession during sitting days, Official Opening of Parliament and State of the Nation Address days.

He /she enforces compliance with the Speaker’s /President of the Senate Instructions on dress code and proper decorum by ejecting defaulting Members of Parliament from the Chamber.

Officers from the Serjeant- At-Arms Department also ensure that visitors to the Speaker / President of the Senate’ Gallery observe approved instructions of silence and decorum when listening to debates. Clapping hands , ululating , booing and interjecting by visitors in the Speaker’s /President of the Senate’s Gallery is not allowed.