House committee to vet Water Cabinet Secretary nominee Eugene Wamalwa

Water and Irrigation Cabinet Secretary-nominee Eugene Wamalwa at a press conference at Sagret Hotel on April 28, 2015 at a New Ford-Kenya National Executive Council meeting. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The CS-nominee will face the National Assembly’s Committee on Appointments, chaired by the House Speaker Justin Muturi.
  • The Speaker asked the House to expedite vetting to avoid missing the 14-day period required for the exercise.

Nominated Cabinet Secretary for Water and Irrigation Eugene Wamalwa will be vetted by Parliament on June 9 before he is formally appointed to the newly created post by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

The CS-nominee will face the National Assembly’s Committee on Appointments, chaired by House Speaker Justin Muturi.

The committee invited the public to submit their views on Mr Wamalwa to the National Assembly Clerk Justin Bundi on or before June 3 in a notice carried in newspapers Friday.

On Wednesday, Mr Muturi informed MPs that he had received a communication from the President informing the House of the nomination of Mr Wamalwa to the position.

The Speaker asked the House to expedite vetting to avoid missing the 14-day period required for the exercise.

In a mini-reshuffle last month, the President formed the new ministry and nominated Mr Wamalwa, a former Justice and Constitutional Affairs minister, to head it.

Mr Wamalwa has since relinquished the leadership of New Ford-Kenya party to Bungoma Governor Ken Lusaka.

The committee will present a report to the House that will have to be adopted by a simple majority to clear the hurdle for his appointment.

MPs resume sittings on June 9 after a month-long recess and will be required to adopt the committee’s report by June 10.

If approved, he will be the 19th Cabinet secretary and will be in charge of a docket hived off from two ministries Environment and Agriculture.

Nominated Secretary to the Cabinet Monica Juma will also be vetted on the same day by the Administration and National Security Committee, chaired by Tiaty MP Asman Kamama.

Ms Juma, a former Interior principal secretary, was picked by the President to replace Mr Francis Kimemia, who was sacked.

Ms Juma was replaced by Maj-Gen (rtd) Gordon Kihalangwa, who will also face parliamentary vetting, although a date has not yet been set.

Mr Wamalwa and Ms Juma have been asked to present their original IDs, academic and professional certificates and other relevant testimonials during the vetting.