Parties pick new Public Accounts Committee team
National Assembly Majority Leader Aden Duale (left) and Deputy Minority Leader Jakoyo Midiwo at Parliament on March 18, 2015. Their coalitions have selected members of the reconstituted Public Accounts Committee. PHOTO | BILLY MUTAI |
What you need to know:
- Opposition chiefs to decide new PAC chairman on Wednesday.
- Cord and Jubilee hand in lists of new House oversight team members to replace Ababu group.
Cord and Jubilee coalition have settled on six names to replace their members in the new-look Public Accounts Committee.
Sources said leaders of Cord affiliate parties will meet on Wednesday to agree on the person to replace Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba as the powerful oversight committee’s chairman.
Although the Powers and Privileges Committee had recommended that at least six MPs from the old team that was disbanded last week be included in the new one, the decisions by the two coalitions mean there will be 20.
This means the new committee will have an institutional memory as it goes ahead with investigations into the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission and the Judiciary.
KEY WITNESSES
Before the old team got caught up in bribery accusations that brought it down, it was to begin meeting key witnesses in its inquiry of the IEBC’s procurement of biometric voter registration kits. It had also done much in the Judiciary investigation.
The Orange party used the opportunity of selecting new PAC members to replace Nakuru Town West MP Samuel Arama, who it removed from the committee last November.
Majority and Minority Whips handed over the final lists of the members of the new team to the Committee on Selection at a meeting on Tuesday morning.
Sources within the House’s leadership said Mr Arama will be replaced with Mr Timothy Bosire (Kitutu Masaba, ODM).
Other ODM nominees are Mr Abdikadir Aden Omar (Balambala), who takes the place of Mr Ibrahim Abass (Ijara), who was debarred. Mr Nicolas Gumbo (Rarieda) replaces Mr Eddick Anyanga (Nyatike), who was similarly banned from the new team.
Cord nominated Dr Eseli Simiyu (Tongaren, Ford-Kenya) to replace Mr Namwamba in the committee.
Jubilee picked Mr Kanini Kega (Kieni, TNA) to replace his Runyenjes counterpart, Ms Cecily Mbarire, who was also debarred. Majority Leader Aden Duale selected Mr Kangogo Bowen (Marakwet East, URP) to take the place of James Bett (Kesses, URP).
