Tight schedule as Parliament reconvenes


Published on 10/11/2009

By Martin Mutua and David Ochami

Parliament reconvenes on Tuesday afternoon after a two-month recess.

This comes amid anxiety over the reform agenda and conduct of some Cabinet ministers and Attorney General Amos Wako.

Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta will temporarily breathe a sigh of relief as he expects to get the go-ahead to spend money allocated to him for the rest of the Budget.

However, he is not off the hook as the controversy surrounding the sourcing of 120 Passat cars that his ministry procured is under probe by the Public Accounts Committee.

Withdrew bill

When the House went on recess in September, Members threatened to shoot down the Appropriations Bill if the Government failed to have former Kenya Anti-corruption Director Aaron Ringera barred from holding office.

Uhuru withdrew the Bill after the threat.

Parliament is expected to endorse the name of the new director and his two assistants today.

And controversy over who between Prime Minister Raila Odinga and Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka should be Leader of Government Business seem destined for a solution.

House Speaker Kenneth Marende, has indicated that negotiations he has held with President Kibaki and the PM could soon bear fruit.

Also on top of the House agenda is a Bill by Imenti Central MP Gitobu Imanyara seeking establishment of a local tribunal to try the 2007 post-election violence suspects.

On Monday, Imanyara told The Standard he has the support of half of Parliament for the constitutional Bill that requires 145 MPs to pass.

Military equipment

Defence and Foreign Relations Committee headed by Wajir East MP Adan Keynan is also expected to table a report of findings on its investigation of the MV Faina ship that had military equipment, whose ownership raised eyebrows.

On Monday, Keynan confirmed the report was ready and that he would table it today.

And the Committee on Administration of Justice and Legal affairs chaired by Abdikadir Mohamed says it will table names of three persons nominated as judges of a tribunal proposed to arbitrate disputes between/among political parties, for approval. Mr Mohamed also said they plan to introduce two Bills to reform Kenya’s electoral system.

Disband Kacc

Garsen MP Danson Mungatana is spearheading a draft Bill to disband the KACC and transfer its functions into a reformed office of the Attorney General.

Also, it is likely the AG will come under renewed pressure to resign following a travel ban by the US and claims by MPs he has impeded investigations into high-level corruption.

 

 

Read all about: Passat Speaker Kenneth Marende National Assembly

 

 

|   |    |   Add Comment |    Comments (0)


Sports News

AFC Leopards face the axe
A week after Kenyan football suffered the setback of McDonald Mariga’s failed move to Manchester City, CAF Confederations Cup...more

Today's magazine

  Crime, Courts & Investigations
Alarm over vehicle registration Flaws

The deal was sealed with a handshake before the two men headed in different directions. One of them went to Kenya Revenue Authority headquarters while the other went to his office to await some money.