Uhuru defends embattled Ngilu from MPs’ censure

By Standard Team

President Uhuru Kenyatta came out in defence of embattled Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu a day after Parliament pressed for her sacking for violating the Constitution.

The development sets up a confrontation with the House because MPs vowed to engineer Ngilu’s removal if she does not resign and if the President fails to sack her.

But the report censuring her had the backing of Jubilee MPs and it is now unclear whether the ruling coalition MPs would go the whole hog in light of the President’s sentiments.  In an apparent reference to developments in the House on Wednesday, when MPs voted to censure the Lands cabinet secretary, the President urged Parliament to handle government officers with caution.

“My appeal to the members of the national Parliament is to recognise that we have a new system of government and we must use it to work in a manner that is consistent with the choice of the 18 Cabinet Secretaries we have,” Uhuru said.

The President spoke against the hounding of cabinet secretaries that would distract them from their responsibilities, especially given that the new government structure had no room for assistant ministers.

“The Constitution does not give us room for deputy cabinet secretaries to offer the public services. Who is going to do the work and when will it begin?” he posed while opening a one-stop centre for Government services at Teleposta Towers in Nairobi.

He urged Parliament to give the new Government space and time to deliver its promises to Kenyans. “If it is an issue of policy we can look into it,” he added.

Ngilu was present and had earlier led the President and Deputy President William Ruto to a section on stamp duty payments that falls under her Lands, Housing and Urban Development docket.

The focus is now on MPs who have vowed to initiate Ngilu’s removal through a Parliamentary process should she not resign or should the President fail to sack her.

CENSURE MOTION

“It’s now up to Ngilu to search her conscience and resign. Parliament has spoken and it’s clear her continued stay in that ministry is untenable,” Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi told the House on Wednesday during the dramatic Motion proceedings.

Wandayi asked the President to take the initiative to fire the besieged cabinet secretary since “Parliament does not act in vain. We are now watching Ngilu and the President’s steps. Failure to act, I can now tell you, MPs will initiate the process of removing her,” Wandayi added.

It, however, remains to be seen whether Jubilee MPs who voted for the report against Ngilu would back a Motion for her removal, should it materialise, given the President’s sentiments.

Yesterday, ODM’s Ndhiwa MP Agostinho Neto said the fact that a Jubilee-controlled legislature adopted the report was telling, but he also conceded that MPs were becoming increasingly liberal.

“It’s clear that some MPs in Jubilee didn’t think that Ngilu was the right person to be in Cabinet and were waiting for an opportunity to hound her out,” Neto said.

He added: “Ngilu will now have to resign or the President will have to fire her, failure to which MPs will commence proceedings to remove her.”At an earlier event in Uhuru Park, President Kenyatta said he would get tough on corruption and there would be no sacred cows in his government. 

Uhuru admitted that corruption is still rife in his government but warned that no one would be spared irrespective of his or her tribe or status.

BAD BLOOD

“If you know you are not ready to change, please leave now and allow us to appoint people who are willing to serve this country,” he said.

“It is now the beginning of the transformation and I will harbour no bad blood or tribalism when I take action. If you are affected, don’t go claiming you were targeted because of your tribe,” he added.

He warned those perpetuating corruption in the Office of the President that their time was up.

The President spoke at Uhuru Park, Nairobi, while launching 113 vehicles leased to the police service.

Yesterday, Majority Leader Aden Duale explained that the Executive’s ‘silence’ during the Parliamentary debate on the report reprimanding Ngilu for irregular appointments was a clear indication of respect for the doctrine of separation of powers.

“Parliament is supreme and its decision is a warning to State officers that no one can break the law and get away scot-free. We all swore to protect the law,” Duale said.

Defence and Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Ndung’u Githinji and Lands Committee Vice Chairman Moses Ole Sakuda said the House would not relent on its oversight mandate.

“The Executive does not control Parliament. Parliament controls Parliament. The House was exercising its discretion in reprimanding the minister,” Ndung’u explained.

“The House had to make this move but it doesn’t mean the minister is hounded out of office. She has shown that her intention were in good faith although she may have been overzealous,” Sakuda added.

Kitutu Chache North MP Jimmy Angwenyi however defended the besieged cabinet secretary and faulted the House for trying to micro-manage the executive.