Senators differ on CORD offering answers in House

By MOSES NJAGIH

KENYA: Senators differed on whether CORD members elected as committee chairmen can give a Government statement in the House.

The challenges on how the legislature is expected to engage the Executive in the House in the absence of Cabinet Secretaries manifested itself leading to a major clash between Jubilee and CORD senators.

 The matter arose after Taita Taveta Senator Dan Mwazo, a member of CORD, who is the vice-chairman of Energy Committee, offered to issue a Government answer to a question raised in Senate last week.

But Majority Leader Kithure Kindiki challenged the decision, saying a member of the minority coalition cannot give the Government’s answer.

Kindiki argued that in cases where the chairman of the respective committee is not a member of the coalition in government, the Leader of Majority should be the one to give the answer.

Kindiki disagreed with the ruling of the Speaker Ekwe Ethuro that the chairperson of committee’s, irrespective of their party affiliations, can give Government responses, saying that would be morally wrong.

“I respect your ruling, of course we are bound by the Speakers ruling, but I disagree with it,” said Kindiki.

He added: “I even do not think that it is morally correct for a member of the opposition to stand here and give the position of the Government on a matter. The opposition member cannot defend the Government’s policy on the floor of the House.”

Seek answers

Kindiki said the opposition did not have the infrastructure to access answers from the Government.

Under the current dispensation where ministers are not members of Parliament, questions to the Government are channelled through respective committees.

The Speaker’s position was supported by members of CORD, who argued that since the Government was not represented in the House, chairmen of committees should seek answers and give them in Parliament.

Busia Senator Amos Wako, who is the chairman of the Legal Affairs Committee, proposed that in such instances the chairmen of committee should be facilitated by Majority Leader to get answers from the Government

But Homa Bay Senator Otieno Kajwang argued that it should be the Speaker to facilitate the committee Chairs and not Leader of Majority.

Challenging the Speaker’s position, Kindiki argued that being the link between the Executive and the Senate, he should as the Leader of Majority respond to such questions.

“As the situation is now, I am the de facto Prime Minister and I will not allow members of the opposition to represent the Government,” he said.