CJ Mutunga fails to appear before House team over report
Counties
By
Faith Ronoh
| Jul 02, 2014
Chief Justice Willy Mutunga Tuesday failed to appear before Parliament's Public Accounts Committee (PAC) to respond to findings of an audit report on the Judiciary and the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
The CJ was expected at 10am but journalists waiting to cover the event were informed by committee members that he had to attend to other urgent official duties.
Committee Chairman Ababu Namwamba told The Standard they received a letter from Mutunga stating he was attending the swearing-in ceremony of 11 recently appointed judges.
"He did not turn up because he was summoned by President Uhuru Kenyatta to attend the swearing-in of judges at State House. We received a letter to that effect and we will reschedule and get back on when he will be appearing," the Budalang'i MP said on phone.
The House team that plays an oversight role on public spending had asked the Office of the Auditor General to audit the Judiciary's accounts.
READ MORE
Foreign capital surges as tourism boom drives Sh258 billion
New push to promote dignity in Kenya's coffee trade
Kenya's oil sector on edge amid escalating US-Israeli war on Iran
Loan talks stall as IMF tells Kenya to brace for Iran war fallout
Police ink Sh1.9 billion deal with Co-op Bank to boost mobility
Going nuts: How Kilifi coconut farmers are cracking poverty's shell for wealth
MPs demand names of defaulters as Hustler Fund unpaid loans hit Sh12.5b
Mini-budget tests IMF austerity demands as State spending soars
State: Gulf firms to keep fuel flowing into Kenya despite Middle East crisis
GCR affirms Afreximbank ratings, removes rating watch on reduced sovereign risk
This was meant to shed more light on alleged misappropriation of Sh2.2 billion by former Chief Registrar of the Judiciary Gladys Shollei.
But a member who sought anonymity said Mutunga's failure to appear before the committee was a plot to frustrate the process.
The MP said they will push for Mutunga's appearance.
"Their plan to frustrate us just like they did with the Legal Affairs committee will not sail through this time. Everyone who was summoned has appeared and Mutunga is not above the law. He must appear," maintained the lawmaker.