House teams split over Kibaki list

The committee’s chair Ababu Namwamba and Kisumu Town West MP Olago Aluoch after attending a meeting at the Windsor Hotel in Nairobi on February 13, 2011. Photo/FILE 

By NATION TEAM newsdesk@ke.nationmedia.com

Posted Sunday, February 13 2011 at 22:05

Reports of threats and lack of consensus among members of two parliamentary committees tasked with resolving the impasse caused by President Kibaki’s controversial appointments to four constitutional posts emerged on Sunday.

Three MPs opposed to the nominations claimed they had received threats that their security would be withdrawn.

ODM’s Olago Aluoch (Kisumu Town West), Millie Odhiambo (nominated) and John Mbadi (Gwassi) claimed that unknown callers told them that the government was going to withdraw their security details.

Criticised appointments Mr Aluoch said he had been informed through SMS while Ms Odhiambo said she was called. However, they had not yet reported the threats to the police.

Mr Aluoch and Ms Odhiambo are both members of the parliamentary committee on Justice and Legal Affairs while Mr Mbadi is a member of the Finance committee.

The three have criticised the manner in which the President nominated Mr Justice Alnashir Visram for Chief Justice, Prof Githu Muigai for Attorney- General, Mr Kioko Kilukumi for Director of Public Prosecutions and Mr William Kirwa for Controller of Budget. (Read: Kibaki names new Chief Justice as ODM protests)

At a news conference on Sunday evening, Ms Odhiambo and Mr Aluoch said they would neither be “cowed” nor “intimidated”.

Said an emotional Ms Odhiambo: “Earlier today, I received a call that the government intends to withdraw my security. I don’t know for what reason.

“It is interesting because it is coming at a point when I have made my position very clear in this committee.”

Similar remarks were made by Mr Aluoch, who said he would raise the matter with House Speaker Kenneth Marende and the Police Commissioner.

The two spoke after attending yet another stormy meeting at the Windsor Hotel in Nairobi, where they were preparing a final report on the constitutionality of the four nominations.

The report is set to be tabled before the House on Tuesday. (Read: Teams to give verdict on nominees next week)

Sources told the Nation that even though the committee declined to clear Mr Justice Visram as the next CJ, they were divided on whether the names of Prof Muigai and Mr Kilukumi be taken to the House for approval.

However, the committee’s chair, Mr Ababu Namwamba, sought to downplay the divisions. “We have made considerable progress in preparing our report. In fact, we are at the tail end of our task,” he said.

Finance committee chairman Chris Okemo told the Nation that his team had come up with an interim report which they would finalise on Monday.

Separately, civil society groups called for rejection of the President’s nominees, while a professional body demanded that the post of Controller of Budget be given to an accountant.

At a press conference, the National Civil Society Congress maintained that the President’s nominations were unconstitutional and asked Parliament to reject them.

The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya demanded that the Controller of Budget be appointed from among its members.

Stories by Peter Leftie, Abiud Ochieng, Erick Oloo, Dave Opiyo, Harry Misiko and Caroline Wafula