New House team to vet judicial nominees
House Speaker Kenneth Marende has sidestepped the wrangling Legal Affairs committee in the vetting of judicial nominees June 3, 2011. FILE
House Speaker Kenneth Marende Friday sidestepped the wrangling Legal Affairs committee in the vetting of judicial nominees.
Speaking in Parliament on Thursday, Mr Marende tasked the Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (COIC) with the job and sought to allay fears that the presence of Cabinet ministers in the committee was likely to tilt the process in favour of the Executive.
“While we acknowledge that some committee members are Cabinet ministers, it is worth noting that they were appointed by virtue of being MPs and not in their capacities as Cabinet ministers to perform a constitutional duty for the Legislature and not the Executive,” Mr Marende said.
He said the nominees for Chief Justice and the deputy, Dr Willy Mutunga and Ms Nancy Barasa, and Director of Public Prosecutions nominee Keriako Tobiko would be vetted by the committee and their recommendations tabled in the House by Wednesday next week.
The names were forwarded to Parliament on May 18, but leadership wrangles in the Justice and Legal Affairs committee and haggling over the formation of an ad hoc committee to vet the nominees delayed the process.
Mr Marende asked Kenyans with queries about the nominees to submit them to the oversight committee.
Justice Minister Mutula Kilonzo, CIOC chairman Mohammed Abdikadir and his deputy Millie Odhiambo convened a news conference in which they appealed to the public to present information to Parliament to help expedite the process.
“We intend to do that very fast. We have a deadline of Wednesday and we intend to keep that deadline,” Mr Mohammed said.
“Starting now until Tuesday at 5pm, anybody who has memoranda positive or otherwise concerning the two gentlemen and the lady should send them to the committee through the Clerk of the National Assembly.”
The committee will hold public hearings on Monday.
“The Constitution requires those hearings to be conducted in public. We’re interested in institutions or organised groups that have specific interest in that area,” the CIOC chairman said.
