On Juma, Parliament has gone rogue and mad

Might you know who was in charge of Kenya’s two-week mission to the US to work out a rapprochement between Washington and Nairobi that would enable the two to establish joint mechanisms for fighting Al-Shabaab?

Two, who back-stopped Kenya’s mission that sought the support of the African Union (AU) in fighting the prosecution of the so-called Ocampo Six in The Hague in what became known as shuttle diplomacy that was fronted by then Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka?

Three, who led the scandalous parliamentary investigation into the Westgate terror attack of September 21, 2013 whose Sh10 million report was rejected by MPs and dismissed as “shoddy, useless, just a bunch of papers’’? The answer to the first two questions is Ms Monica Kathina Juma.

She is a diplomat, an academic, a researcher and a civil servant who has served as Kenya’s ambassador to Ethiopia and is the current Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Interior and Co-ordination of National Government. The answer to the third question is Mr Asman Abongutum Kamama.

He is the Member of Parliament for Tiaty and previously served as a teacher, District Officer II and District Officer I. Mr Kamama chairs the parliamentary Committee on Administration and National Security. Where do the paths of the two cross?

In April, President Uhuru Kenyatta nominated Ms Juma to fill the vacant position of Secretary to the Cabinet. It fell upon Mr Kamama’s committee to vet Ms Juma and ascertain her suitability for promotion to the docket.

ELIGIBLE FOR THE JOB

It recommended that Parliament rejects the nomination despite Ms Juma’s “requisite qualifications”, “vast experience” and impressive knowledge of security issues, which make her eligible for the job.

Why? Because the committee averred Ms Juma “displayed arrogance and insensitivity to the needs and concerns of the public and elected leaders; that “she lacked a practical approach in dealing with the public and elected representatives’’ and, that she “lacked demonstrable passion to serve the public and elected leaders”.

And where is the evidence for Ms Juma’s arrogance, insensitivity and lack of passion for serving the public and legislators? A letter she wrote to the Clerks of the Houses of Parliament last October in which she took issue with lawmakers who: “… have time and again been visiting my office and making requests to have officers serving in this Ministry, namely field administrative officers as well as uniformed officers, appointed, transferred or retained in specific stations across the country.’’

Ms Juma wrote that honouring these requests “poses a huge challenge, are unsustainable and would constitute a breach of the Civil Service Code of Regulations, the provisions of the Constitution as well as policy frameworks.” So, what did she want from Clerks Justin Bundi (National Assembly) and Jeremiah Nyengenye (Senate)?

She wrote: “Kindly inform the Honourable MPs and Senators about this challenge and reassure them that the management of the Ministry of Interior and Co-ordination of National Government is committed to observe the procedures and fair administrative action as it relates to all staff within the confines of the law and laid down criteria.’’

That is diplospeak for: “Please tell MPs and Senators that, one, civil servants are hired, transferred and retained in accordance with established procedures and, two, and I take these into consideration when carrying out my work. Three, legislators must play by the rules and respect my office for there is a clear line between the Executive and Legislature.”

What Ms Juma did not say is that she was hired from the private sector to help dismantle the patron-client and jobs-for-the-boys networks and cronyism in the Civil Service, especially in the security docket.

These networks and cartels are overseen by and benefit lawmakers. What she did not ask is why legislators would insist on seeing her when they could write, email or call and help save time. She would not even state that lawmakers avoid meeting their constituents who always camp at Parliament Square.

Good people, an arrogant, insensitive and indifferent civil servant would not lead teams to Washington to devise strategies for fighting Al-Shabaab or canvass continental support for trying the Ocampo Six at home. Parliament has gone rogue and mad. That is passion the public does not deserve.

By rejecting Ms Juma’s nomination, MPs gave her the monkey treatment. When you want to scare monkeys, you catch one, give it a thorough whipping and, then, hang it on a tree.

The rest will give you and your turf a wide berth. Senior civil servants and Cabinet Secretaries are the legislators’ monkeys.

Opanga is a media consultant; [email protected]