AG plans end for devolution team
What you need to know:
- Regulation set to be tabled in Parliament any time this week
- Bill seeks to replace Transition Authority with committee
Attorney-General Githu Muigai is planning to bring the life of the Transition Authority to an end and replace it with a committee.
He has prepared a Bill, which if adopted by Parliament, will relieve the Authority of its devolution duties.
The Statute Law (Miscellaneous Amendments) Bill, 2013, will be brought to the House any time from this week and spells the end of the authority tasked with overseeing the transition to the devolved system of governance.
The Bill seen by the Nation proposes that: “The Authority shall stand dissolved upon the establishment of the Intergovernmental Relations Committee established under the Intergovernmental Relations Act.”
The Authority is established by the Transition to Devolved Government Act that came into force last year and began its duties as required by the law.
The proposed amendments do not state the fate of the current TA officials.
It is not clear whether they will be incorporated into the proposed committee or they will lose their jobs.
Although Transition Authority chairman Kinuthia Wamwangi said he was yet to see the Bill, he said that he proposal should be clear on what role the TA, now at the centre of transferring national functions to the counties, would play when the committee is in place.
Some politicians have accused the authority of failing to hasten the transfer of some functions as required by the law.
“We did not receive enough funds. We have already run out of money. I will give a comprehensive response when we get the Bill but for now we are really facing financial challenges that are hampering our duties,” Mr Wamwangi said.
The omnibus miscellaneous Bill is meant to seal identified loopholes in existing laws. MPs will have a chance to propose further changes to the expected law when it is brought up for its second reading.
Responding to the move by Prof Muigai, National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale said the AG would have to convince the House why a lawful authority should be replaced with a committee.
“The Bill is not in the House yet but we will look at it when it is brought to us. But first the AG will really have to convince us why such an important body should be replaced by a committee,“ said Mr Duale on Sunday.
