Kenyan MPs:Freeze county appointments

By Steve Mkawale

The parliamentary Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) now wants all appointments and re-deployments to the county governments suspended until the Executive comes up with a clear policy on how the exercise should be carried out.

MPs made the fresh demands Tuesday when they met Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Eugene Wamalwa and representatives from the Attorney General’s Office at County Hall in Nairobi over the recent controversial appointments of County Commissioners to the 47 Counties.

Legislators Martha Karua, John Mbadi, Kilemi Mwiria, Joseph ole Nkaissery, Millie Odhiambo-Mabona and Charles Onyacha further demanded for the suspension of the appointments made by President Mwai Kibaki two weeks ago pending consultations.

They reiterated that the appointments or re-deployments were in violation of the constitution and should be stopped until the Government comes up with a clear way of doing such exercise.

Wamalwa who appeared before the committee to shed light on the appointments had requested for more time saying key ministries were yet to meet to discuss the ongoing appointments and redeployments to the county governments.

“Consultations are going on within the Government and we need time so that we will be able to address in a comprehensive manner all issues partaining to the appointments,” said Wamalwa.

Senior Deputy Solicitor General  Muthoni Kimani who accompanied the minister confirmed that the consultation were going on and said the AG Prof Githu Muigai had sought for more time in his letter to the CIOC.

This drew the ire of members who demanded the immediate suspension of the exercise in all ministries saying the executive was taking them for a ride.

Gwasi MP John Mbadi reminded the minister and the AG that the matter at hand was constitutional and demanded that the appointments of the 47 county commissioners be suspended.

“What is happening here is a violation of the constitution and we need to be careful here,” said Mbadi.

Kajiado Central MP Joseph ole Nkaissery wondered why the ministers need to consult further yet they had already made other appointments to the county government.

“I do not think you need time to consult.  Do you mean these appointments were done without consultation?” said Nkaissery adding that the minister only needs a day to consult.

Tigania West MP Kilemi Mwiria said if the minister required time to consult then he should announce the suspension of all appointments to the county government.

“The minister should tell this committee that all appointments to the county government should be stopped until we get clear guidelines on how those appointments should be done,” he said.

Beside the appointments of County Commissioners, the government has also appointed County Directors of Education and the Ministry of Health and is in the process of making similar appointments.

Health Minister Beth Mugo who is a member of the committee said her ministry was also in the process of making similar appointments and wondered why there was so much storm over the recent  re-deployment of county commissioners.

Wamalwa, however, brushed aside the demands by the committee saying the government was preparing to comment on all appointments to the county governments.

“We are planning to give an official position of the executive over the appointments. We ask for time so that we can consult widely. I think we should be given up to Tuesday next week,” said Wamalwa.

CIOC chairman Abdikadir Mohammed directed that the Minister for Justice, his National Security counterpart Prof. George Saitoti and the AG to appear before them next week on Tuesday.