MPs vote to keep ex-woman rep on NLC nomination list

MPs yesterday overturned a House committee report that had rejected nomination of former Isiolo Woman Rep Tiya Galgalo to the National Land Commission (NLC).

The lawmakers successfully amended the report by the Lands Committee that recommended rejection of Galgalo on claims she had evaded taxes.

Yesterday afternoon session was preceded by high level lobbying by rival camps that culminated in a vote that rescued the former legislature from being locked out of the job.

At least 114 MPs voted in support of the amendments to have the former lawmaker appointed to the NLC, while 70 voted to oppose her approval.

It means that all the nine nominees by President Uhuru Kenyatta now await appointment by the Head of State.

Take over

Gershom Otachi will take over from the former chairperson Mohammed Swazuri, while Galgalo, former Minister Kazungu Kambi, former Nyeri Town MP Esther Murugi, former Egerton University Vice Chancellor James Tuitoek, Reginald Okumu, Hubbie Huseein Al-Haji and Alister Murimi Mutugi will serve as commissioners.

The amendment was introduced by Isiolo North MP Hassan Odha and backed by a majority of women MPs as well as those allied to Uhuru and Opposition leader Raila Odinga.

The Lands committee, chaired by Kitui South MP Rachael Nyamai, had rejected Galgalo’s nomination after the taxman said she was not compliant.

The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) had put the former woman rep’s tax returns for the years 2017 and 2018 under investigation.

However, on Monday evening, just hours before the House could debate the report, KRA wrote to Parliament clearing her of any tax arrears.

Tax obligation

A letter by Commissioner E Meyo of the Domestic Taxes Department, to the clerk of the National Assembly, indicated that Galgalo had since “fulfilled her tax obligation”.

Interestingly, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has written to Parliament seeking recordings of the Lands Committee’s proceedings and documents tabled to begin a probe against the Galgalo. It was not immediately clear if EACC would still proceed with the probe following yesterday’s development as reports indicated that Parliament had since complied with the request.

“The Commission’s attention has been drawn to reports appearing on both the print and electronic media that Hon Tiya Galgalo nominated for appointment as a member of the National Land Commission presented to the National Assembly’s Lands Committee a tax compliance certificate that had been issued irregularly,” EACC CEO Twalib Mbarak.

“It is further reported that the tax compliance certificate presented was withdrawn by Kenya Revenue Authority and at the time of vetting by the National Assembly Lands Committee, the nominee did not have a valid tax compliance certificate from KRA,” he wrote.

Kazungu’s nomination sailed through despite three members of the Lands Committee rejecting his nomination to the commission over a land issue before the High Court and questioning his education background.

MPs Owen Baya (Kilifi North), Teddy Mwambire (Ganze) and Omar Mwinyi (Changamwe) had argued that Kambi was not suitable for the State job. They claimed he was involved in a questionable bank loan charged on title of Giriama Ranch in Kilifi.