Article 153. Decisions, responsibility and accountability of the Cabinet
Official Constitutional Text
153. (1) A decision by the Cabinet shall be in writing.
(2) Cabinet Secretaries are accountable individually, and collectively, to the President for the exercise of their powers and the performance of their functions.
(3) A Cabinet Secretary shall attend before a committee of the National Assembly, or the Senate, when required by the committee, and answer any question concerning a matter for which the Cabinet Secretary is responsible.
(4) Cabinet Secretaries shall—
(a) act in accordance with this Constitution; and
(b) provide Parliament with full and regular reports concerning matters under their control.
Plain English Explanation
This is a simplified summary to explain this article in clear language. It is not the legal text of the Constitution.
Article 153 explains how the Cabinet must make decisions and how Cabinet Secretaries are held responsible for their work. First, any decision made by the Cabinet cannot just be spoken; it must be written down officially. Second, Cabinet Secretaries are fully answerable to the President, both individually for their own ministries and together as a team for the government's overall choices. Third, if a committee from either the National Assembly or the Senate orders a Cabinet Secretary to attend a meeting, that secretary must show up in person and answer any questions about their department. Finally, every Cabinet Secretary must follow the Constitution and regularly provide Parliament with complete updates and reports on how they are running their ministries.