The names of Dr Willy Mutunga (left) and Nancy Barasa (centre) for Chief Justice and Deputy Chief Justice respectively and Keriako Tobiko (right) for Director of Public Prosecution were submitted to Parliament by President Kibaki. Photos/FILE
By NJERI RUGENE nrugene@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted Monday, May 30 2011 at 22:30
Posted Monday, May 30 2011 at 22:30
The vetting of the three nominees for the posts of Chief Justice, his deputy and Director of Public Prosecutions may start on Tuesday if Parliament approves MPs to the committee to carry out the task.
This follows an agreement by Parliament’s House Business Committee on the composition of the ad hoc committee to vet Dr Willy Mutunga for the position of chief justice, Ms Nancy Barasa (deputy CJ) and Mr Keriako Tobiko (director of public prosecutions).
On Monday, members of the House Business Committee, at a meeting chaired by Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta, appeared to drop their hard-line party positions and resolved to set up a special committee of 11 members.
The ODM party, which has a majority in Parliament, will have six MPs in the team while PNU will pick five, it was agreed.
The committee resolved to meet again at 12.30pm on Tuesday, to receive the 11 names proposed by the parties.
Insiders at the closed door meeting were hopeful that the committee would agree on the names for tabling in the House later on Tuesday afternoon.
If passed by Parliament, the committee will embark on the task immediately so that the House can dispose of the business within the week.
It is expected that one of PNU’s four slots will go to Ms Martha Karua of Narc Kenya, which is an affiliate of the party.
Sources at the meeting said Mr Kenyatta, Mrs Beth Mugo and PNU deputy chief whip Jeremiah Kioni were opposed to the 11-member suggestion.
The three stood by PNU’s earlier suggestion of a 15-member team comprising members of the Justice Committee, to include the ODM’s “rebel” MPs.
But ODM chief whip Jakoyo Midiwo, while standing by the party’s position to pick fresh names, said they would not mind how PNU picked its members, even from the wrangle-riddled Justice Committee.
Suspicion, rivalry and leadership battles, which have characterised the relations between the two coalition partners, PNU and ODM, have blocked progress to the final hurdle in confirming the three nominees to the top offices in the Judiciary and the State Law Office.
At the heart of the row is whether or not to include ODM rebel MPs Isaac Ruto and Sofia Abdi Noor to the committee.
PNU, which has formed an alliance in Parliament with the ODM rebels has insisted that the Justice Committee where the two are members, be retained as the vetting team, with an additional four members, three to picked by ODM and one by Narc Kenya.
However, ODM rejected the proposal.
Deputy leader of government business Amos Kimunya also attended Monday’s proceedings as did Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo.
However, the Transport Minister did not have a vote as he is not a member of the committee that draws the House agenda and could also not stand in for the leader of government business, Mr Kalonzo Musyoka, who was out of the country.
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