Bunge Library Parliament of Kenya Digital Repository

Overview

The Bunge Library Digital Repository is the online institutional repository of the Parliament of Kenya, providing public access to parliamentary publications, research papers, legislative documents, and other materials produced by or for the Kenyan Parliament. "Bunge" is the Swahili word for parliament.

Institutional Context

The Parliament of Kenya is the country's bicameral national legislature, comprising the National Assembly and the Senate, as established by the Constitution of Kenya 2010. The Bunge Library serves as the parliamentary library and information resource centre, supporting Members of Parliament, parliamentary staff, and researchers with information and research services. The digital repository extends access to the library's holdings beyond the physical premises of Parliament Buildings in Nairobi.

Collections and Holdings

The repository contains digitised and born-digital versions of parliamentary papers including Hansards (official records of parliamentary debates), bills, acts of parliament, committee reports, research papers, policy briefs, budget documents, and official publications of the Kenyan Parliament. The collection covers Kenya's post-independence legislative history and is of significant value for researchers studying Kenyan political history, governance, law, and public policy. For journalism researchers, the Hansards and committee reports provide primary source documentation of parliamentary proceedings and media-related legislation.

Access and Usage

The Bunge Library Digital Repository is freely accessible online at libraryir.parliament.go.ke. Users can search and browse the collections without registration. The repository supports full-text searching of digitised parliamentary documents.