Jubilee MPs shrug off NASA's withdrawal from Committee on Appointments

The Jubilee Party-dominated Committee on Appointments is set to meet today to prepare to vet President Uhuru Kenyatta's Cabinet nominees tomorrow.

Only one affidavit has been submitted to the parliamentary committee in charge of vetting Cabinet nominees as the deadline for receiving views elapses today.

Nine Cabinet secretaries (CSs) nominated by President Kenyatta are set to face the Committee on Appointments chaired by Speaker Justin Muturi tomorrow and Friday before they can be appointed to their various dockets.

NASA declined

The National Super Alliance (NASA) declined to participate in the process, saying it did not recognise Uhuru Kenyatta as the President.

National Assembly Clerk Michael Sialai said on Tuesday his office had received one affidavit and six letters by last evening.

“The secretariat of the Committee on Appointments has received one affidavit and six letters raising issues on the nomination of some Cabinet secretaries which l will refer to the committee to give directions,” said Sialai.

Sialai said the committee would make a decision on whether to accept or expunge the letters from views it will consider while questioning the nominees.

But the absence of the Opposition MPs and lack of interest by the public could reduce the crucial exercise to a mere formality.

General issues

Third Way Alliance presidential candidate Ekuru Aukot and the Kenya Human Rights Commission chairman, George Kegoro, have written to the Speaker requesting to appear before the committee to “discuss general issues on the vetting process".

The two have questioned whether Uhuru's Cabinet nomination list meets the requirements of equality and inclusion, as enshrined in the Constitution, and why the Cabinet secretaries retained from Uhuru's first term should not be vetted afresh.

"Our understanding of appointment under the Public Appointment Act no 3 of 2011 includes any reappointment to the same body, whether or not in the same capacity. Therefore, each proposed appointment, whether for the first time or not, is subject to vetting by the National Assembly," they said.