Members differ over nomination’s report

By ALEX NDEGWA and MARTIN MUTUA

Members of a Parliament committee squabbled publicly over their own report, which rejected President Kibaki’s nomination of Mr William Kirwa as the Controller of Budget.

Five members of the Finance Committee disowned the report tabled by their chairman, Chris Okemo that said the nomination should be started afresh.

Committee vice-chairman, Philip Kaloki, led the other members in saying they did not consent to some of the observations included in the report presented in Parliament, Wednesday.

"We wish to disassociate ourselves from the observation and purported recommendation laid on the table of the House by chairman Chris Okemo," said Mr Kaloki.

He added: "The observations and recommendations are not a faithful record of the deliberations of the committee, because the committee had reached the decision that there were due consultations between the President and Prime Minister, and further that the nomination process was in accordance with Article 228 of the Constitution."

But Government Chief Whip, Jakoyo Midiwo, and Nkoidila ole Lankas (Narok South) both of ODM, claimed the members disowning the report were not sincere.

Midiwo referred to a night meeting where the MPs were allegedly influenced to disown the report.

"It is wrong, immoral and deceitful to tell Kenyans that you are now opposing a report a day after it had been laid, yet you did not raise any objections in the House when it was tabled," he added.

Kaloki said the committee did not question the constitutionality of the nomination process.

Final report

"The document was not duly circulated to the committee members for final approval. We, therefore, did not have an opportunity to confirm the final report," he said.

The dissenting members faulted the findings that the Commission on the Implementation of the Constitution gave the opinion the nominations were unconstitutional.

"The CIC did not express any opinion about the constitutionality or otherwise of the nomination," Kaloki added.

He said the document omitted the request for the majority of members to vet the nominee, and that the recommendation that the legal requirements regarding the nominations were not fulfilled had no basis.

MPs Nelson Gaichuhie (Subukia, PNU), Sammy Mwaita (Baringo Central, ODM), Lucas Chepkitony (Keiyo South, ODM) and Lenny Kivuti (Siakago, Safina) accompanied the Kibwezi MP at the press conference at Parliament Buildings to denounce the report.

Ironically, Midiwo and Nkoidila contemptuously sat behind their colleagues throughout the press conference, angered by the sudden turn of events.

Midiwo said the committee met on Tuesday from 10am to 12.30pm where they all went through the report and adopted it.

"We finished the meeting where the committee unanimously adopted the report, and the confirmation of the same was moved by none other than Kaloki and seconded by Jakoyo Midiwo," he added.

Nkoidila said he was dismayed by the move by his colleagues to disown a report they had been part of throughout.

He said the Finance Committee went to Naivasha to write the report and they had always concluded their deliberations on a very good note. "It is so hurting for a member to come and stand before cameras and disassociate himself on a matter," he said.