NAIROBI, KENYA: Barely two months old in office as head of the legislature, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi this week played host to strange guests.
National Assembly Speaker Justin Biden Muturi
In the most dramatic episode, pigs and piglets literally came calling at his office doorstep.
This was perhaps the most difficult challenge he has had to confront since being elected Speaker and came just as the House was preparing to approve the first major business of approving Cabinet Secretaries nominees.
The civil society activists had unleashed the pigs to protest MPs’ clamour for salary increment and they forced some parliamentarians to sign against their names on a board with all their names that they will not seek to increase their pay.
The easy going Speaker who escaped the humiliation of signing against his name because he arrived before the demonstrators, acknowledges the protestors had a constitutional right to do so, but they need to tell Kenyans first who was paying them.
“Ask yourself who are the demonstrators, and how much they got from the exercise, you will understand theirs was not a genuine demonstration,” he says.
Rights of others
“Kenyans have a right to demonstrate, in fact it is healthy for the nation as long as there is no lawlessness and those participating should ensure that the rights of others are not trampled in the process,” adds Muturi.
And as debate on the amendment of the Committee for the Appointment report on the Cabinet Secretaries tabled by Rachael Shebesh went on, Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo stood up and challenged the Speaker that the Motion was not properly served in the House. Gumbo told Muturi he was not independent enough to be in charge of the debate as he was among those who vetted the nominees.
A group of MPs had also accused the Speaker of being biased towards Jubilee and therefore not an independent umpire in the House.
However, Muturi defended himself, saying despite being nominated and elected by the majority of Jubilee Coalition MPs he will serve all the members across the divide.
“I do not have any conflict of interest in my running of the National Assembly, my wish is to see to it that Parliament plays its legislative role and I will remain truly impartial in overseeing the business of the House,” he said. The former Siakago MP is not one to hide his mind on issues that stand out and on the salaries increment push he believes that MPs have a point in their quest.
The former Centre for Multiparty Democracy Chairman, says the Sarah Serem-led commission does not have the powers to set salaries of parliamentarians and the only impediment for the House before they executed their salaries was the formations of the committee.
Popularly known to his friends as JB, the Speaker 56, attended Kangaru School for his ‘O’ and ‘A’ level studies and sat Form Six examinations in 1977, he was admitted to the Bar in 1982 a year after he graduated with a Bachelor of Law (LLB) Degree from the University of Nairobi.
Muturi, whose rose to the rank of Principal Magistrate in 1997 after 15 years career in the Judiciary and at one time served as the Chairman, Kenya Judges and Magistrates Association.
As a former member of the Select Committee on Constitutional Review between 1999 and 2004 where he participated in the Constitutional Review Conference meetings at Bomas of Kenya the Speaker vows to oversee full implementation of the Constitution.
“I will do all that is lawfully and humanly possible to facilitate the process of implementing our Constitution, passage of the balance of the governance laws and setting the pace for the sustained economic growth and development of our beloved country,” he says.
Muturi, who was the longest serving Chairman of thePublic Investments Committee, thinks his predecessor is unnecessarily overrated. He says his predecessor Kenneth Marende who was lauded for his ‘Solomonic ruling’ achieved nothing more than implementations passed long before his entry.
Muturi says he was instrumental in the setting up of the report on the roll out of the live broadcast during the ninth Parliament and former Speaker only implemented the move.
He says one of the projects he would like to initiate is construction of a parliamentary village, a place where members of the National Assembly would have accommodation, training and spend time.
“The village will give the MPs an opportunity to have two-bedroom flats where they can live and enjoy facilities like the gym among others,” says Muturi.
He explains that MPs have two work stations, one in Nairobi and in their constituencies and the parliamentary village would serve as their residence while in the city.
Ready to work
“An MP does not have to take a loan of Sh20 million immediately they get into the city, a number of members are now booked into hotels, this is not proper, we need to have them booked into a House in the village when they are elected and ready to work as soon as possible,” he explains.
Muturi, who served as Chief Whip when Kanu was the opposition following the Narc victory, has retained his close relationship with President Uhuru Kenyatta, which he says dates back to the late 90s when they joined the Eigth Parliament.
Kenyatta entered Parliament through a nomination after Mark Too resigned to pave way for him while Muturi in a by-election in the formerly Siakago Constituency now Mbeere North.
“We do not meet often nowadays, he is busy putting up an effective government that he promised Kenyans while I am also bogged down with the challenges of running the biggest House in Kenyan history, but we are still close friends,” he says.
Away from the hustle and bustle of parliamentary business, the father of three is an avid reader of law books. Muturi who describes himself as a staunch Anglican and a fan of athletics and football, dismissed claims he is likely to play to whims of the President in Parliament.
Dismas Mokua, a political analyst says the challenge for the Speaker is to convince all and sundry that his closeness with the President will not influence his performance in the House.
Mokua says in the recent past, Muturi has shown fidelity to the Standing Orders and the Constitution in his rulings and decision to the chagrin of his doomsayers.
“Sending the discussion on the revenue allocation to the plenary given the lack of the parliamentary Committee to oversee it, the signing of the report of the Appointment of Committee which rejected the name of EAC, Tourism and Commerce nominee Phyllis Kandie are some of the pointers that he is his own man,” he says.
By Jacob Ngetich, The Standard
