MPs will not arm-twist us, agencies vow

Constitutional commissions have told MPs to stop arm-twisting them to give in to their demands by threatening to reduce their budgets and numbers.

The heads of commissions defended themselves from MPs’ attacks, saying their stand on various national issues was informed by the Constitution.

“Parliament should not use the budget process to arm-twist constitutional commissions,” Commission for Implementation of the Constitution chairman Charles Nyachae said during a meeting at Serena Hotel, Nairobi Friday.

The chairman of the Commission on Administrative Justice Otiende Amollo said: “The Constitution requires all commissions to be given adequate budget for their operations.

“If the allocations are slashed, the commissions will not deliver their mandate to Kenyans. We have safeguards that protect allocations to commissions. The Constitution is also very clear on how a commissioner could be removed from office.”

Mr Nyachae said CIC commissioners had been invited to participate in a parliamentary committee on budget talks on Monday where the CIC budget will be discussed.

Salaries and Remuneration Commission chairperson Sarah Serem said her team was open for negotiations with various institutions including Parliament.

Sharp criticism

The SRC has come under sharp criticism from MPs for setting their monthly salary at Sh532,500 instead of Sh851,000 earned by 10th Parliament legislators.

Independent Policing Oversight Authority chairman Macharia Njeru, electoral commission boss Isaack Hassan, Commission on Revenue Allocation’s Micah Cheserem, Gender and Equality

Commission chairperson Winnie Lichuma, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission vice-chair Irene Keino, Auditor-General Robert Ouko and Kenya National Commission on Human Rights acting chairperson Ann Munyiva Ngugi were among those at the press conference.