Uhuru tells Cord not to use committees to settle scores

President Kenyatta on Monday challenged opposition Cord not to use parliamentary watchdog committees to settle political scores, but instead use them to fight corruption and enhance public accountability.

“You should not use your oversight role for the sake of the opposition or for playing partisan politics. You should be accountable to the people and not to your political parties. You know what I am driving at..,” the President said.

He spoke at the official opening of the 2nd Annual General Meeting and Conference for the African Organisation of the Public Accounts Committee (Afropac) attended by PACs from 47 countries in the continent at the Safari Park Hotel in Nairobi.

President Kenyatta, who served as the PAC chairman between 2002 and 2007, when he was in opposition in Kanu, was referring to the powerful watchdog committee which usually oversees expenditure and project implementation by ministries, and is usually chaired by opposition MPs, who also make the majority of its membership. The current chairman is Rarieda MP Nicholas Gumbo (ODM), who has chaired several investigations sessions where Cabinet Secretaries whose ministries have faced audit queries from the Auditor-General, have been grilled.

“As those who work in a political environment—both within your countries and in your respective parliaments—and who are sensitive to political dynamics, you must yet rise above all partisan considerations,” he told the delegates, who will be meeting for the next four days.

The theme of the meeting was “Curbing illicit financial flows in Africa”, with Mr Gumbo, who was the moderator, saying that Africa had lost $1.6 trillion in the last 36 years, which is enough for self-sustenance, without relying on foreign aid.

“$50 billion is spirited out of Africa every year, which is more than four times the amount of Africa’s debt. If we successfully curb illicit financial flow out of Africa, we would not need a single coin in foreign aid,” he said.

Public Investment Committee chairman Adan Keynan said parliamentary oversight was no longer about the opposition but about public accountability and interests, which had endeared its watchdog role to the wider public.