By SUNDAY NATION TEAMPosted Saturday, January 29 2011 at 21:00
In Summary
- Duale advises PM to stop complaining over consultations whenever key appointments are made
Livestock assistant minister Aden Duale and Belgut MP Charles Keter have questioned the nomination of William Kirwa to the powerful post of Controller of Budget.
The two said that the nominee has pending questions before Parliament and was therefore not suitable for the nomination.
“Mr Kirwa has unanswered questions before the House committee on Agriculture on issues revolving around his tenure at Agricultural Development Corporation,” Mr Duale said.
He also advised Prime Minister Odinga to stop complaining over consultations whenever key appointments are made.
“The two principals must come up with a mechanism of consultation that doesn’t elicit complaints. The President says he consulted. The Prime Minister says he was not consulted. Who is fooling whom?” he said.
Speaking separately, Mr Keter objected to the proposal of Mr Kirwa as Controller of Budget in the new constitutional dispensation.
He said opposed the appointment of Mr Kirwa over his running of ADC. He added that the Parliamentary Committee on Agriculture was investigating issues touching on the corporation and added, “I support the President’s choice of Attorney-General and Director of Public Prosecutions, but I have reservations on the appointment of Mr Kirwa.”
He challenged Mr Odinga and those opposed to the proposals to quit the grand coalition government if they were not satisfied.
If Parliament approves Mr Kirwa as the Controller of the Budget, he will become one of the most powerful people involved in running the country’s economy.
“In performing the functions of office, the Controller of Budget shall not be under the direction or control of any person or authority,” the Constitution states.
This is because under the Constitution, Mr Kirwa would be one of the key constitutional office holders with power and responsibility over the country’s public financial management system.
Along with the Revenue Allocation Commission chaired by former Central Bank of Kenya governor Micah Cheserem, Mr Kirwa would benefit from the new laws which have whittled down Treasury’s hitherto immense and discretionary powers.
In addition to overseeing the implementation of the budgets as approved by the different levels of government, the Controller of Budget will have an even greater role in resource utilisation both at national and county government levels.
Reported by Gekara Mayaka, Tirop Benedict and Justus Ondari
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