Ngilu’s biggest test yet as she faces Parliament

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Charity Ngilu (Center) when she was announced Lands, Housing and Urban Development Cabinet Secretary by President Uhuru Kenyatta (Left) and his Deputy William Ruto at the State House, Nairobi on April 25, 2013. PHOTO/FILE  NATION

By KITAVI MUTUA kitavimutua@gmail.com
Posted  Saturday, April 27  2013 at  21:05

IN SUMMARY

• If she survives the parliamentary vetting process, Mrs Ngilu will get a new lease of political life after being shown the door by Kitui voters.

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Cabinet Secretary nominee Charity Ngilu faces a storm as she seeks to return to government following her failed bid for the Kitui Senate seat.

The Narc leader, who was among the four partners in the Jubilee Alliance, was nominated to head the Lands, Housing and Urban Development docket against expectations of many Kenyans who wanted a Cabinet devoid of election losers. 

President Uhuru Kenyatta and Deputy President William Ruto had, prior to the nomination, assured Kenyans that no politicians would find their way to the Cabinet list.

Mrs Ngilu’s nomination on Thursday thus elicited angry reactions from a section of wananchi and Opposition MPs who have vowed to reject her when scrutiny of the appointees goes to the floor of the House.

Until her defeat by Kitui Senator David Musila, she had defied great political odds to serve as the Kitui Central MP for a record 20 uninterrupted years, 10 of which she was Cabinet minister in the Kibaki administration where she served in the Health and Water dockets.

Tendering scandals

During her tenure in the latter docket, the ministry was engulfed in various tendering scandals.

Although a parliamentary committee cleared her of any wrongdoing, several of her close family members are facing fraud charges in court.

Not everyone is convinced of her integrity.

“Which Kenyan doesn’t know that [Mrs] Ngilu has issues with the anti-corruption commission?” Deputy Minority Leader Jakoyo Midiwo told a press conference at Parliament Buildings on Thursday.

“I’m disappointed,” added the Gem MP who promised to rally his colleagues to reject the nomination of Mrs Ngilu over her tenure at the Water ministry.

He was also dismayed by the President’s change of heart after promising to name a Cabinet of technocrats.

“What he has given us are partisan politicians,” he observed.

If she survives the parliamentary vetting process, Mrs Ngilu will get a new lease of political life after being shown the door by Kitui voters.

But if, as some legislators have vowed, her nomination is rejected, the former Kitui Central MP will have to reinveint herself for any political comeback in future. 
“That nomination could be a poisoned chalice, and it’s too early to celebrate because if MPs reject her, the appointing authority will have no choice but to replace her,” said Mwingi North MP John Munuve.

Mr Munuve told the Sunday Nation that her approval will depend on whether MPs allied to Jubilee will vote en bloc in her favour and that she will be doomed if some break ranks with their colleagues. 

Her close allies are wary that part of the Jubilee family may not play ball at both the committee stage and the full House.

Narc party spokesman Alex Ng’ang’a said the first step was to appear on the nomination list and that the party hoped Parliament will endorse her name.

By law, if Parliament rejects a nominee, the name cannot be resubmitted. 

Mrs Ngilu’s nomination to the Cabinet is the bright side of the hard political battle she has had to fight to survive in politics lately, especially after former Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka beat her for the political control of Ukambani.

She joined the Jubilee coalition in December last year under controversial circumstances after failing to secure a firm deal with the Coalition for Reforms and Democracy (Cord) in which Mr Musila was supposed to withdraw his candidature for the Kitui Senate seat in her favour.

Cord leaders Raila Odinga and Mr Musyoka rejected her demands, prompting her to immediately jump ship to the Kenyatta-led coalition.

According to sources within Cord, Mrs Ngilu wanted assurances from Mr Odinga and Mr Musyoka that Mr Musila would withdraw his bid.

Sign agreement

She then joined the Uhuru-Ruto team but not before she made them sign an agreement in public – during the launch of Jubilee campaigns at the Kasarani Gymnasium – binding them to include parts of her party manifesto in the Jubilee one.

The Jubilee leaders saw Mrs Ngilu as their best bet in their quest to penetrate Ukambani, a region that was decidedly behind Mr Kalonzo and, through him, Cord.

It was this that observers say makes her feel entitled to a Cabinet post in recognition of her sacrifices on behalf of the alliance. But will the proverbial cat with nine lives survive the MPs’ vetting process?