Kenya: National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has declined to arbitrate and break a stalemate over formation of key parliamentary committees.
National Assembly Speaker Justin Biden Muturi
The Jubilee Coalition, which has majority of MPs in the House, is pushing to chair the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Public Investment Committee (PIC), which CORD Coalition is laying claim as the minority.
Mr Muturi turned down a passionate appeal from the minority in Parliament to have Jubilee cede ground in the push to chair the key committees in the House in favour of CORD.
“We have a responsibility to provide leadership on this matter since the committees have 21 days to scrutinise the budgetary estimates as per their mandates,” Muturi stated.
Minority Leader Francis Nyenze and his deputy Jakoyo Midiwo had pleaded with members to let them chair the committees to effectively play their role as the Opposition.
“The two committees are oversight committees. The Government cannot oversee itself,” Nyenze explained.
He said they decided to forget chairing the Budget Committee, but they were not ready to cede the PIC and PAC.
“Our position has not changed. After consulting with the Speaker and other people we surrendered the Budget Committee but not the other two,” he said.
Leader of the Majority Aden Duale said voters had voted overwhelmingly for Jubilee and confinedCORD to the Opposition and as such they should play their oversight role from the floor of House and stop making excuses.
“The Standing Orders are not explicit that a member of the Opposition will chair the PAC and PIC committees but it is clear the positions have to be subjected to a vote among the members,” Duale said.
He said any legislator who feels the Standing Orders violate the Constitution draw the matter to the attention of the House Rules Committee in writing to initiate a review.
Duale told Parliament CORD had not presented the list of MPs nominated to the key committees yet Jubilee had done so by midday yesterday as was required.
Tongaren legislator David Eseli and nominated MP Amina Abdalla took issue with the way the Standing Orders were drafted by the last Parliament, noting it was executed in a hurry and needed a review.
Ainabkoi MP Sammy Chepkonga said Jubilee MPs would play an oversight role in Parliament since the Executive no longer sits in Parliament.
“If you give me to chair anyone of the oversight committees, I will play my role required by the rules of this House and the Constitution. I will ensure whoever has embezzled funds is prosecuted,” Chepkonga stated.
Kuresoi North legislator Moses Cheboi said: “The leader of majority cannot negotiate for the majority. All MPs irrespective of whether in the minority or majority must play an oversight role against the executive.”
By ALAN KISIA and VITALIS KIMUTAI, The Standard
