Mutula faults MPs on KACC

By Beauttah Omanga and Daniel Nzia

Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo has faulted Parliament for delaying to confirm or reject lawyer PLO Lumumba’s nomination as anti-graft commission director.

The minister said it was wrong for the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) to have a vacuum at the helm since Justice Aaron Ringera’s exit late last year.

"What was the logic of kicking out the holder at lightning speed only to move at a snail’s pace to get a replacement?" asked Mutula.

He said the vacuum left by Justice Ringera should be filled urgently through a vote in Parliament when it reconvenes in June.

Parliament annulled Justice Ringera’s and two assistant directors’ tenure on October 16, last year, protesting against their unilateral reappointment by the President.

Parliament unanimously voted against Justice Ringera’s reappointment by Kibaki, who was faulted by the KACC board, which claimed they were not consulted.

The board then proposed Mr Lumumba as Ringera’s replacement and lawyer Pravin Bowry as an assistant director.

On Sunday, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) and the East Africa Law Society (EALS) top officials also demanded Parliament’s verdict on the new KACC director.

LSK Chairman Kenneth Akide said it was unfortunate that Parliament has gone on recess before sorting out the KACC issue.

Sources said the Parliamentary Select Committee chaired by Mandera Central MP Mohammed Abdikadir, will meet this week on the matter.

Old ID cards

EALS Secretary James Mwamu said a quick decision by the PSC and finally Parliament would end the vacuum at the anti-graft agency.

"Lumumba can only be denied the job only if during the time he vied for a parliamentary seat, he was implicated in corruption, while Bowry cannot be denied an opportunity because as a lawyer he represented some key figures in anti-corruption cases," said Mr Mwamu.

Elsewhere, Mutula urged his Immigration counterpart Otieno Kajwang to consider allowing people with the old generation identity card to register as voters.

He asked Mr Kajwang’ to consult with President Kibaki over the matter, to re-degazette the notice that made the document obsolete.

Interim Independent Electoral Commission Chairman Chairman Ahmed Issak had said many people had been turned away with the outlawed document.