Rivalry in House team could delay key Bills

Two crucial Bills tabled in Parliament on Wednesday could be delayed by power struggles in a House committee.

The Justice and Legal Affairs Committee has been split by rivalry, with eight of the 11 members pushing to replace Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba as chairman.

As MPs voted to fast-track the maturation of Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission Bills, a member of the team warned that the process could stall at the committee stage.

“The fact is that we may reduce the number of days (before the Bills mature), but there is no legal committee that will handle the Bills. The House will face that obstacle,” said Mr George Nyamweya of PNU.

The two Bills are crucial to the implementation of the Constitution, and the organisation of elections slated for August next year.

A member of the committee told the Nation the stalemate presented “a very awkward situation” as their input was needed yet they could not meet formally.

“The Bills are now in the custody of the committee and we have done nothing about them as yet. Without the input of the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee, the process will have stopped,” he said.

It is understood the committee has been meeting informally, but members are yet to agree on who should replace Mr Namwamba.
Another informal meeting was scheduled for Thursday.

Eight PNU and three ODM MPs failed in their first attempt to remove Mr Namwamba when he said at a meeting chaired by Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim he had not been served with notice of the intent to remove him.

It was alleged to have been transmitted to him through the National Assembly Clerk, but he denied receiving it.

An attempt was made to hand him the notice immediately but it was torn up in the heat of the argument that followed.

The issue has since been referred to House Speaker Kenneth Marende, who is reported to have attended the informal meetings, but the stalemate has not been resolved yet.

On Wednesday, Nairobi Metropolitan minister Njeru Githae presented a motion on shortening the publication period of the Bills.

Mr Githae said relevant government agencies had shortened the process for developing the Bills.