MPs plan to disband ‘failed’ cohesion team
PHOTO | WILLIAM OERI | FILE Mzalendo Kibunjia, chairman of the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.
What you need to know:
- Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ngeno told his colleagues that throughout the troubles that erupted in his constituency after the 2007 elections, in which he said 150 people were killed, the cohesion team had done nothing to reconcile peoples.
A parliamentary team is mulling over a proposal by MPs to disband the National Cohesion and Integration Commission.
In a meeting on Tuesday, members of the National Assembly’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee accused the commission of failing to fulfil its mandate.
The committee had agreed with an idea to have commissioners serve for six years like their counterparts on independent commissions.
But the tide turned against the cohesion team soon after the disbandment proposal was floated by Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma (ODM), who said the main issue behind ethnic conflict is lack of equity in the distribution of resources and the commission has done nothing about it.
“We have a very tribalised State machinery, and this commission is doing nothing about it,” said Mr Kaluma.
“They are investigating some vague thing called hate speech when we already have freedom of speech. You call me stupid, I’m happy. I know myself,” he added. (READ: Cohesion team told to return State cars)
Emurua Dikirr MP Johana Ngeno told his colleagues that throughout the troubles that erupted in his constituency after the 2007 elections, in which he said 150 people were killed, the cohesion team had done nothing to reconcile peoples.
“Has this commission changed anything for the last three years?” he asked. “If we were to disband it, nothing would change. We’re spending millions on a commission that has done nothing.”
While committee chairman Samuel Chepkonga (Eldoret East, URP) called for restraint, only vice chair Priscilla Nyokabi (Nyeri County, TNA) and Bishop Robert Mutemi were against the proposal.
“This one is meant to get jobs for the boys and girls. I have never met this team in conflict areas, I have only seen them in seminars,” said Mati Munuve (Mwingi North, Wiper).
