House resumes today after 10-day break before recess
Lawmakers are set to resume House sittings today after a 10-day break ahead of commencement of debate on the suitability of nominees for Cabinet Secretary positions.
According to a tentative Order Paper for Wednesday, MPs are expected to consider the motion tomorrow once the Committee on Appointments (CoA) chaired by Speaker Moses Wetang’ula tables its report today.
“It is notified that the following business is tentatively scheduled to appear in the Order Paper for Wednesday (afternoon), October 26, 2022, a special motion — consideration of nominees for appointment as Cabinet secretaries (the chairperson, Committee on Appointments), (subject to tabling of Report and Notice of Motion on Tuesday, October 25, 2022),” reads the Order Paper.
The CoA has until Thursday to table the report. If it approves the nominees, the acting Clerk of the National Assembly, Serah Kioko, will inform the President of the decision of the House, and the President shall appoint them formally through a gazette notice and have them sworn into office.
It is understood that President William Ruto wants the process expedited to have the new CSs sworn in by Friday, ready to assume office by Monday.
The committee retreated to a city hotel to write its report on the suitability of the nominees after concluding the approval hearings.
The Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act gives the National Assembly 28 days within which, by a resolution at the plenary, to approve or reject the nominees.
President Ruto named the 24 nominees on September 27, and conveyed the names to the National Assembly for vetting.
The nominees include former ANC leader Musalia Mudavadi (Prime Cabinet Secretary), former National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi (Attorney General), Garissa Township MP Aden Duale (Defence), and former Labour Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui (Co-operatives and Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development).
Others are Kandara MP Alice Wahome (Water, Sanitation and Irrigation), former Tharaka Nithi Senator Kithure Kindiki (Interior and National Administration), former Malindi MP Aisha Jumwa (Public Service, Gender and Affirmative Action), former Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria (Trade, Investment and Industry) and Susan Nakhumicha (Health).
Yet others are Elgeyo Marakwet Senator Kipchumba Murkomen (Roads, Transport and Public Works), former Narok Woman Representative Soipan Tuya (Environment and Forestry), former Central Bank of Kenya (CBK) Governor Njuguna Ndung’u (National Treasury and Planning), Penina Malonza (Tourism, Wildlife and Heritage) and former Nyaribari Masaba MP Ezekiel Machogu (Education).
During this session, MPs also have a packed in-tray before they take a long recess on December 1 to February 13 next year.
Issues at hand include reconstitution of House committees for vetting of Principle Secretaries, the ongoing drought that has adversely affected 10 counties, and the lifting of a 10-year-old ban on genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
