Crucial House teams finally get leaders

By ALLAN KISIA

Two powerful House committees now have their respective chairpersons and vice-chairpersons after wrangles that had threatened to disrupt business at the National Assembly were ironed out.

Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba is the new chairman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) while his Eldas colleague Adan Keynan was elected chairperson of the Public Investments Committee (PIC).

Runyenjes MP Cecily Mbarire was elected PAC vice-chair while Kikuyu legislator Antony Ichung’wa was elected PIC vice chair.

Namwamba and Keynan promised to work diligently and urged members of the committees to put aside party differences.

The chairpersons of the two committees come from CORD while their deputies are from Jubilee.

CORD had insisted its members be the chairpersons of the two committees, arguing the Government cannot watch over itself.

But Jubilee argued Kenyans had voted overwhelmingly for them and confined CORD to the opposition and as such they should play their oversight role from the floor of House.

Namwamba noted the committee has heavy responsibilities ahead.