It's back to Speaker as MPs hit deadlock
The drama in Parliament was lent a touch of the bizarre when members of one committee tried to table a report with contradicting recommendations on President Kibaki’s contested nominees. Speaker Marende had on Tuesday ordered the committee to submit its report to the House before 12.30 pm on Wednesday whether it was complete or not. Photo/FILE
By PETER LEFTIE pmutibo@ke.nationmedia.comPosted Wednesday, February 16 2011 at 22:07
Hopes that House departmental committees would resolve the deadlocks over key constitutional appointments were shattered on Wednesday when two separate teams broke up in acrimonious differences based on political loyalties to either President Kibaki’s or Prime Minister Raila Odinga’s wings of the coalition government.
The drama in Parliament was lent a touch of the bizarre when members of one committee tried to table a report with contradicting recommendations on President Kibaki’s contested nominees. (Read: Kibaki’s judiciary nominees spark new round of coalition clashes)
Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim stopped the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee from tabling its report because it had not first been presented to the Speaker as required.
Sharp differences were also played out in the Trade, Finance and Planning Committee, where some members disowned a report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday by their chairman Chris Okemo.
The fate of the four nominees is now in the hands of Speaker Kenneth Marende. (Read: Will Marende break the deadlock?)
And the matter has an added sense of urgency because the office of Chief Justice falls vacant in 10 days’ time.
In stopping the Justice committee, chaired by Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba from tabling its report, Mr Maalim stated that it had not been handed to the Speaker’s office at least two hours before it was laid on the table as required by the Standing Orders.
“I have sat with the speaker waiting for this report and we only got it one minute ago,” said Mr Maalim.
He also rejected Nominated MP Amina Abdalla’s point of order seeking direction on whether dissenting members of committees are free to table a different report.
Sources revealed that Mr Namwamba had intended to table a report authored by PNU-allied members and “rebel” ODM ones.
Their report had found the process of the appointments was “constitutional” but with a recommendation that the Chief Justice nominee be subjected to vetting by the Judicial Service Commission.
Talks acrimonious
They had also recommended the Attorney-General and Director of Public Prosecutions nominees be vetted by Parliament.
But the last part of the report, authored by Mr Namwamba, Nominated MP Millie Odhiambo and Olago Aluoch terms the whole process “unconstitutional.”
The sources revealed that the committee’s deliberations on Wednesday were so acrimonious that Chepalungu MP Isaac Ruto accused Mr Namwamba of “running the committee the way matters are run at Orange House.”
Members allied to PNU also accused Mr Namwamba of playing partisan politics and added: “He refused to call a meeting yesterday, we only met on Thursday between 11.40am and 1.40pm, long past the speaker’s deadline,” one MP complained.
Speaker Marende had on Tuesday ordered the committee to submit its report to the House before 12.30 pm on Wednesday whether it was complete or not. (Read: Fate of Kibaki nominees due Wednesday)
Similar divisions were also played out in the Trade, Finance and Planning Committee after the Vice chairman, Prof Philip Kaloki, led four colleagues allied to PNU in disowning the report tabled in Parliament on Tuesday.
The report had rejected President Kibaki’s nominee for the post of Controller of Budget, William Kirwa. (Read: House team rejects Kirwa's nomination process)
The MPs, Nelson Gaichuhie, Lucas Chepkitony, Sammy Mwaita and Lenny Kivuti, said they had not been given an opportunity to peruse the final report before it was tabled by Mr Chris Okemo.
“The observations and recommendations are not a faithful record of the deliberations of the committee,” said Mr Kaloki and that the document was not circulated to all members for “final approval”.
But at a separate press conference, two committee members, Jakoyo Midiwo and Nkoidila ole Lankas, both allied to ODM, accused the five of being “dishonest”.
The two alluded to a “night meeting” attended in which the decision to trash the report was reached.
Additional reporting by Njeri Rugene and Alphonce Shiundu
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