National Assembly sets date for vetting Uhuru's nominees to cabinet

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi

Nairobi, Kenya - National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi will lead team for vetting President Uhuru Kenyatta's nominees to the Cabinet and then summon MPs to a special sitting to approve the names.

The vetting will take a full day on Friday, after which MPs will sit for three days beginning Tuesday next week to approve or reject the nominees based on the findings of the committee on their suitability to serve in government.

In a schedule, the seven nominees to the Cabinet will be vetted for one hour each by the Committee on Appointments which is chaired by the Speaker. The vetting will take place in County Hall.

There are eleven committees also lined up to vet the 24 principal secretaries on the same day.

"The nominees should bring the originals of their identity card, academic and professional certificates and other testimonials," said Justin Bundi, the Clerk of the National Assembly in a dispatch to the nominees.

They are also required to bring clearance certificates from the Kenya Revenue Authority, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, the Higher Education Loans Board, the Criminal Investigation Department and from any of the Credit Reference Bureaus.

If the MPs agree, Kiunjuri will be joining Cabinet as the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Devolution and Planning to replace Anne Waiguru, who resigned in November following corruption allegations in the ministry that commands nearly Sh100 billion of the annual budget.

After Kiunjuri, Charles Keter, senator for Kericho County and Dan Kazungu Member of Parliament for Malindi Constituency will follow. Keter has been nominated to head the Ministry of Energy and Petroleum, while Kazungu has been nominated to be the new CS for Mining.

Willy Bett (Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries) will be vetted just before lunch. Joseph Mucheru (Information, Communication and Technology) will be the first to be vetted after lunch, followed by Sicily Kariuki (Public Service, Gender and Youth Affairs). The last one to face the Committee on Appointments will be Cleopa Maillu (Health).

The House Committee on Finance, Planning and Trade and the one on Transport, Public Works and Housing will each vet four principal secretaries. Saitoti Torome (Planning and Statistics), Julius Korir (Industrialisation and Entreprise Development), Fatuma Hersi (Tourism) and Chris Kiptoo (International Trade) will face the committee on Finance.

Those to face the committee on Transport are: Aidah Munano (Housing and Urban Development), Paul Maringa (Public Works), Wilson Irungu (Transport), Nancy Karigithu (Maritime Commerce).

Sammy Itemere (Broadcasting and Telecommunications), Victor Kyalo (ICT & Innovation) and Andrew Kamau (petroleum) will face the committee on Energy and Communication. Nicholas Muraguri (Health) will face the Health Committee; Micah Powon (Correctional Services) will be before the House Committee on Administration and National Security.

Lillian Omolo (Youth and Public Service) and Betty Maina (East African Community Integration) will be the only principal secretaries to be vetted by joint committees. Lillian Omolo will be vetted by Committee on Administration and National Security jointly with Labour and Social Services committee. The joint sitting is scheduled for Friday at 3pm.

For Betty Maina, it will be Labour and Social Services Committee and the Committee of East African Affairs, early Friday at 10am.

The Committee on Labour and Social Services will vet three other nominees: Susan Mochache (Social Security & Services), Zeinab Hussein (Gender Services), Joseph Okudo (Sports, Culture and the Arts).

Defence and Foreign Relations Committee will vet Peter Kaberia, the principal secretary nominee for the Defence docket. The Committee on Environment will deal with Charles Sunkuli (Environment) and Margaret Mwakima (Natural Resources).