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The Nairobian

Jacob Kaimenyi, Fred Matiang‘i and Najib Balala to also face fresh vetting alongside new faces to cabinet

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By Alphonce Shiundu | Dec 02, 2015

Cabinet secretaries who were moved to new dockets will also face fresh vetting by the National

Assembly after MPs voted to expand the scope of scrutiny of President Uhuru Kenyatta‘ s recent appointments.

President Kenyatta had asked the National Assembly to speed up vetting of Cabinet and principal secretaries who were newly nominated and Attorney General Githu Muigai had sought to legislate on that scope, but the MPs rejected the move.

*Ambassador Monica Juma during national conference for women in the security sector on 17/6/2015 at Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi. All appointees to cabinet will be vetted by parliament.*(PHOTO: EDWARD KIPLIMO/ STANDARD)

Yesterday, the National Assembly threw out a proposal to the vetting law that sought to give the President a freehand to reshuffle his Cabinet and even promote State officers without MPs deciding on the suitability of the various nominees to serve in the new capacities.

The proposal contained in the Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendment) Bill, 2015 MPs reject bid to exempt CSs from fresh vetting only wanted MPs to vet State officers who join the Cabinet or the State departments for first time and once vetted, the vetting was valid for life, unless an official complaint was filed on their integrity or competence.

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But yesterday, Majority Leader Aden Duale (Garissa Township) and the chairman of the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee Samuel Chepkonga (Ainabkoi) led MPs to reject the proposal. They said it was trying to take away the powers of MPs to decide on the suitability of the people to run Government.

"What the Attorney General is trying to do is that if you are vetted for any position in this House even for a constitutional commission ... then the President has the leeway to appoint you a Cabinet Secretary and not come to the House. We have to delete it. If you are vetted as a principal secretary and are appointed as a Cabinet secretary, you have to come back and get vetted," said Duale.

The clause in the Statute Law was amending the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act, which dictates the vetting procedure in the House. The call for fresh vetting for transferred and promoted Cabinet secretaries and principal secretaries means that the MPs will have another round to deal with some of the State officers against whom they hold a grudge. Education Cabinet Secretary Jacob Kaimenyi who was moved to the Lands docket in the same capacity, has survived a censure motion filed against him in the National Assembly.

Interior Principal Secretary Monica Juma, whose promotion to Secretary to the Cabinet was rejected, will have to face MPs again for the lawmakers to gauge her suitability to serve in the Foreign Affairs docket as the principal secretary.

"This Parliament has a responsibility and a role to verify the suitability of any candidate. To assert the authority of this Parliament, it means any individual must pass through this House," said Joseph M'Eruaki (Igembe North).

Deputy Minority Leader Jakoyo Midiwo (Gem) said the fresh vetting was the only way MPs would deal with public servants who are alleged to have misused public funds.

"To stop any noise regarding graft, where someone already vetted is appointed and re-assigned to go and continue with the looting spree, we must reject this proposal," he said.

Speaker Justin Muturi was yesterday expected to table the names of the nominees to the Cabinet and to State departments, but he did not do so, presumably awaiting the MPs' word. The Speaker is the chairman of the Committee on Appointments which vets all the Cabinet appointees. The principal secretaries are vetted by departmental committees.

The new faces in President Kenyatta's list of nominees are: Mwangi Kiunjuri (Devolution and Planning), Dan Kazungu (Mining), Willy Bett (Agriculture) Joe Mucheru (ICT), Charles Keter (Energy), Sicily Kariuki (Public Service, Youth and Gender Affairs) and Cleopa Maillu (Health). All these will be vetted for the first time.

For Najib Balala (Tourism), who was in the Mining docket, his suitability for the new docket will also be vetted and so will that of James Macharia, who was transferred from the Health docket to the Transport docket. Fred Matiang'i, who moved from ICT to Education, will also be vetted.

Aside from Juma, the principal secretaries to be vetted are Richard Lesiyampe (Agriculture), Joe Okudo (Arts and Culture), Sammy Itemere (Broadcasting and Telecommunications), Peter Kaberia (Defence), Charles Sunkuli (Environment), Betty Maina (EAC integration), Karanja Kibicho (Interior), Lilian Omollo (Youth and Public Service), Nicholas Muraguri (Health), Aidah Munano (Housing and Urban Development).

Others are Victor Kyalo (ICT and Innovation), Chris Kiptoo (International Trade), Peter Nduati (Irrigation), Julius Korir (Industry and Enterprise Development), Ali Noor (Cooperatives), Micah Powon (Correctional Services), Nancy Karigithu (Maritime Commerce), Margaret Mwakima (Natural Resources), Andrew Kamau (Petroleum), Saitoti Torome (Planning and Statistics), Josepheta Mukobe (Special Programmes), Paul Mwangi (Public Works), Susan Mochache (social security services), Fatuma Hersi (Tourism), Wilson Irungu (Transport), Dinah Mwinzi (Vocational and Technical Training) and Zeinab Hussein (Gender Affairs).