Wetangula escapes Parliament's wrath over embassy deal

Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula. Parliament’s resolve to debate the report on the Sh1.18 billion scandal on the sale of five embassies hit a snag when deputy Speaker Farah Maalim controversially adjourned the sitting October 14, 2010. FILE

Parliament’s resolve to debate the report on the Sh1.18 billion scandal on the sale of five embassies hit a snag when deputy Speaker Farah Maalim controversially adjourned the sitting.

Beleaguered Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetang’ula, who’s heavily indicted in the report over the fiasco, put up a stubborn plea to the deputy Speaker to defer the debate.

Mr Wetang’ula shot up on a point of order even before the chairman of the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee, Mr Aden Keynan  initiated debate on the report which was tabled in the House on Tuesday.

The minister’s argument was that he needed time to read the report and prepare a defence saying it had touched on his personality.

He said, he got the report Thursday morning, and did not have time to read it, because he was rushing to attend a Cabinet meeting.

There was also need to meet with Ministry’s officials and to lobby MPs before the debate.

“If there are members who want an opportunity to hear my side of the story even before we debate, have them that opportunity,” said Mr Wetang’ula.

The minister caused a stir with that remark, as Gwassi MP John Mbadi, asked him to withdraw saying doing so would amount to a breach in the House rules.

This is despite the fact that the report was available at Parliament’s Room 8 just after it was tabled that Tuesday afternoon.

He cited the “rules of natural justice and fair hearing” as the basis upon which the deputy Speaker had to consider his plea.

“I have not read it. I need to be ready and you as the chair have to address yourself to the rules of natural justice,” Mr Wetang’ula said.

“I need ample time to prepare and make a reasoned response.”

“It is a very weighty matter. The report makes far-reaching recommendations that touch on me personally,” he said.

Buoyed by this plea and the support of Mr Charles Keter (Belgut, ODM), and confusion over the Order Paper in the House, Mr Maalim put the debate on ice and closed Parliament for the week.

The debate on the matter was to come to Parliament Thursday, but then the House Business Committee altered the schedule to have the Finance Bill.

They did this, even after Finance assistant minister Oburu Oginga, had told the committee –which sets Parliament agenda—that his boss was away and asked it to postpone the Finance Bill.

The deputy Speaker who had earlier ruled that motion was properly before the House, rescinded his ruling and halted the debate.

Ms Martha Karua (Gichugu, PNU), Mr William Kabogo (Juja, Narc Kenya), Mr Mbadi, Cabinet Minister James Orengo, assistant minister Aden Duale and Mr Hussein Gabbow all questioned the breach in procedure in the circulation of the Order Paper.

The House rules direct that the Order Paper should be in each of the 222 pigeon holes for the MPs and on the website, 12 hours before debate, and should there be need for a supplementary Order Paper, then this should be circulated one hour to the sitting.

In a clear breach of the Standing Orders, the supplementary Order Paper was circulated while the House was already sitting. In fact, the House had sat for two hours.

Ms Karua and Mr Isaac Ruto (Chepalungu, ODM) urged the deputy Speaker to let the debate continue as he had already ruled that the matter was “properly before the House”.

“This House in the eyes of the public will look like it is playing games. If the motion is ready to be moved, let it be moved. Why delay those of us in the House?” Ms Karua posed.

Mr Orengo was also angry and demanded that the circumstances under which multiple Order Papers were circulated.

“We must clean our own House, so that any morning, I can know what’s before the House,” said Mr Orengo.

The deputy leader of government business, Dr Sally Kosgey, gave an explanation, but then the deputy Speaker ruled that the House Business Committee meets and irons out the confusion.

The report by Mr Keynan’s team recommends that Mr Wetang’ula, his permanent secretary Thuita Mwangi and other senior officers in the ministry resign.

It also indicts him as incompetent to handle any other public office.

The Defence and Foreign Relations team also accused Mr Wetang’ula of giving false evidence and wants him prosecuted for breaching not only the Penal Code, but also, the Public Officers and Ethics Act.

It terms the whole fiasco in which taxpayers’ money was lost on obsolete buildings and furniture as an “embarrassment to the presidency".