Joint House team meets to decide fate of Joseph Boinett

A joint parliamentary committee is set to meet on Sunday to decide the fate of Mr Joseph Boinett as Kenya’s next Inspector-General of Police at the Boma Hotel, Nairobi.

In the past, legislators from the government, who have the majority in Parliament, have used their numbers to rubber-stamp the Executive’s decision. The same thing is expected when the committee’s report is tabled in the Senate and National Assembly for either adoption or rejection.

Mr Boinett was vetted last week by the committee comprising members of the National Assembly and Senate.

Earlier on, senators, particularly from the Opposition, had wanted that each House vet the nominee separately.

But Senate Speaker Ekwee Ethuro, in a communication in the House, said he had agreed with his National Assembly counterpart, Mr Justin Muturi, to undertake joint vetting.

It is understood that the speakers took into consideration President Kenyatta’s wish that the process be fast-tracked.

Mr Boinett was nominated for the job by President Kenyatta after the former IG David Kimaiyo resigned last year citing personal reasons. The position is being held in an acting capacity by Mr Samuel Arachi.

VET SEPARATELY

Cord members led by Senate Minority Leader Moses Wetang’ula (Bungoma, Ford-K) wanted each House to vet the presidential nominee separately and table the report in their respective chambers.

Mr Wetang’ula said a joint vetting process could only be lawful if senators had passed a resolution to that effect.

The Senate, he added, would be disadvantaged when the joint committee votes on the report given that National Assembly committees have more members.

Signs that 52-year-old Boinett stands a high chance of being the next IG were evident during the vetting.

Some legislators who took part in the session that lasted more than three hours last Thursday at the Senate’s former chamber at County Hall expressed their satisfaction with the candidate.

Others went straight to what they expect the nominee to prioritise once in office.

“In my opinion, you are suitable for the job. But, if given the job, you have to look at this culture of police responding long after an incident has happened,” Mr Alois Lentoimanga (Samburu North, TNA), the National Security Committee vice-chair, said.

Mr Asman Kamama (Tiaty, URP), who chairs the committee and his Senate counterpart Yusuf Haji (Garissa, TNA), repulsed any efforts by some members to poke holes into Mr Boinett’s academic credentials.

Mr Kamama said they would confirm on Sunday whether the certificates and institutions that Mr Boinett attended are recognised by the Commission for University Education.

Meanwhile, Mr Boinett’s appointment could shake up things at the National Police Service following information that he could be coming with seven senior aides. He is understood to have negotiated with his former bosses at NIS to take with him a personal assistant and strategic advisers.

The arrival of the new IG with his trusted people could see the two deputies, Samuel Arachi and Grace Kaindi, sidelined. Mr Arachi and Mrs Kaindi worked with the former IG.

The initial Security Laws (Amendment) Bill, now an Act, had proposed they too leave office with Mr Kimaiyo. However, the provision was among those dropped before the Bill was acrimoniously passed in the National Assembly last year.

Even though the acting officials were spared the chop, the new security laws took away their security of tenure and Mr Boinett can recommend their removal to President Kenyatta.

Additional reporting by Walter Menya