Trouble looms in Parliament

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By Rawlings Otieno and Patrick Kibet

The fate of the Parliamentary Service Commission (PSC) is likely come up this week when House Speaker Kenneth Marende meets MPs.

How Marende, who chairs the commission, handles the sensitive matter outside the normal sittings of Parliament could determine the final outcome of a motion, filed by Gwassi MP John Mbadi, which seeks to have the PSC reconstituted with new commissioners.

Speaker of the National Assembly Kenneth Marende. Photo: File/standard

The Speaker’s meeting, an informal session nicknamed the "Speaker’s Kamukunji" has been used in the past to seek ways out of sticky Parliamentary matters that are politically sensitive or divisive.

Other issues that might be discussed include the plan by rebel Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) MPs and a section of Party of National Unity (PNU) legislators to move a motion censuring the Speaker over his handling of the impasse that has crippled the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee.

Marende transferred the committee’s work to the Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) so as to ensure key Bills meant to anchor the new laws are not delayed by the wrangling.

Those MPs who support Mbadi say the PSC must be reconstituted as it has become a symbol of the ills afflicting the rest of Government, including corruption, cronyism and nepotism.

Among other things, they allege favouritism in awarding of tenders and hiring of workers by the PSC.

If the debate drags on, it could expose the rot in the August House that touches both PNU and ODM, and how a section of well-connected officials of Parliament and MPs have used their positions to hire relatives into lucrative positions.

Credibility

A cross section of MPs are demanding the resignation of all the PSC members as a first step towards restoring the credibility of the committee, which is responsible for administration of Parliament.

Mbadi’s motion seeks to discuss the allegations against the PSC.

Impeccable sources told The Standard since Mbadi filed the motion a fortnight ago, it is yet to be allocated time for debate by the House Business Committee.

The sources, which requested anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, also told The Standard that the Speaker is taking the matter seriously, as is Prime Minister Raila Odinga, which has made Mbadi uncomfortable because the PM is the ODM party leader.

Government Chief Whip Jakoyo Midiwo who supports the motion, says he has attempted to replace the PSC members before, but Marende prevailed upon him not to do so.

"I have attempted to replace the members of PSC before, but the Speaker wrote to us not to change the members," said Midiwo.

He explained that he does not understand the resistance, yet PSC is just another committee of the House.

Added Midiwo: "When there are errant members how do you replace them because by now there are accusations of nepotism, particularly among the employees, and the commissioners are being blamed (for inaction) so where are these employees supposed to report to?"

He said Parliament oversees all other arms of the Government, but PSC has no other body that holds it to account.

"For instance, there is one case where one clerk has been stuck in one [salary] scale for many years, yet other people get employed in the same department and get promoted while he is ignored," he added.

There are also several departments where some employees are on higher scales than their heads of department, while some have the ears both of commissioners.

"Do you think those employees can take directions from their heads of department?" he posed.

Midiwo said the commission must report and be accountable to the House.

No replacement

However, PNU Chief Whip Johnstone Muthama differed with Midiwo, saying the commission will not be replaced as the membership was agreed upon by Parliament.

Muthama said that like all other parliamentary committees, PSC operates under Standing Orders of the House, and no other member is allowed to judge another.

"The accusations being levelled against members of the commission are baseless and biased as they cannot stand the taste of time," Muthama added.

The Kangundo MP said accusations of nepotism in the PSC should not be applied selectively, noting that there are some top people in the Government who have appointed their relatives to big jobs and yet nobody has questioned them.

"Those who live in glass houses should not be the ones attempting to throw stones," said Muthama.

Sources told The Standard the Speaker is scheduled to chair his Kamukunji either Monday or Thursday morning for members to deliberate on the issue.

"The Speaker wants the members to deliberate on the matter informally as he feels that the Mbadi motion is not only targeting the Commission but is also an attack on the integrity of the House," added the source, but who asked not to be quoted.

Regarding the corruption claims, proponents of Mbadi’s motion allege they have evidence of irregular dealing with regard to the renovation of parliament whose works were supposed to have been completed early this year.

The renovation was supposed to cost Sh800 million but sources allege it has shot up to close to a Sh1 billion.

Being a matter that is touching on the integrity of the House, the motion, according to Commonwealth tradition, should have been given priority to be disposed of as quickly as possible.