Speaker Muturi rejects call for CS Waiguru to be grilled afresh

NAIROBI: National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi Tuesday warded off pressure from MPs for Devolution Cabinet Secretary Anne Waiguru to be grilled afresh by a different committee.

The Speaker said while his officers had messed up when they called Waiguru to appear before the Finance, Planning and Trade Committee, he was not going to allow the Cabinet Secretary to be called again to face the Committee on Labour and Social Welfare, under which the National Youth Service falls.

Homa Bay Woman Representative Gladys Wanga had asked the Speaker to nullify Tuesday's grilling and order a fresh one because the finance committee had no legal or constitutional mandate to probe Waiguru.

But the Speaker said there was no point of calling Waiguru again just because of a clerical error.

"It is noted that the new dispensation has created several overlaps among Government ministries in relation to departmental committees, which may have caused the error. However, be that as it may, all concerned officers are required to undertake the necessary due diligence in the processing of the relevant business," said Muturi.

Labour and Social Welfare Committee Chairman David Were (Matungu) had complained to the Speaker that the Cabinet Secretary owed his committee an explanation.

"It is therefore regrettable that during the forwarding of the schedule for appearance, it was erroneously indicated that the matter would be handled by the finance committee," said Muturi.