Quorum hitch halts House business

The perennial quorum issues at Kenya’s Parliament appeared not to have ended even with the seven-week MPs break.

Proceedings were interrupted at 5.25 p.m. last evening when Prof Margaret Kamar, who was temporary speaker for the afternoon session, was notified of the lack of quorum.

Even after the bell rang for the required five minutes but the number of MPs remained at 27, three short of the 30 who are required for the House to transact business.

At the time, MPs were set to debate a report of the departmental committee on Administration and National Security on the number of people killed by vigilante groups last April and May.

The debate had not started yet and Garsen MP Danson Mungatana, who is also a committee member, had asked that the motion be moved for the adoption of the report as previous debates had exhausted the matter.

The quorum hitch was, however, the lowest moment of the day in which MPs cleared the way on a bill to deal with money laundering to go before the relevant committee before it is taken to the President for assent.

Meanwhile, two ministers could soon face sanctions after Speaker Kenneth Marende warned them in absentia of the apparent failure to take the work of Parliament seriously by missing sessions without explanation.

James Orengo of Lands and Naomi Shaban of Special Programmes failed to show up for the session despite having questions to answer as listed in the Order Paper.

Ms Shaban was scheduled to answer a question on the fate of suppliers for materials used in the construction of houses for Internally Displaced Persons to be asked by Molo MP Joseph Kiuna.

Mr Orengo was scheduled to answer one from North Imenti MP Silas Ruteere.

Their questions were called out twice before the Speaker issued his warning, which Deputy Prime Minister Musalia Mudavadi received as the highest ranking government official in the House at the time.

“This behaviour is not acceptable. Make sure the ministers attend and give an explanation themselves because this House will not tolerate not being taken seriously,” said Mr Marende.

Both face sanctions if they fail to appear another time to answer the questions. They will also be required to give plausible explanations for their absence.

Ministers normally send their assistants to answer questions on the floor but neither appeared to have sent their deputies with the required answers.