CASs can represent State in Parliament, Muturi rules
Chief Administrative Secretaries (CASs) will continue appearing before parliamentary committees to respond to questions on behalf of Cabinet secretaries, National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi ruled yesterday.
MPs had protested the legality of the position of CAS, saying they cannot be the official government position respondents on any matter.
But in his ruling yesterday, Muturi said CASs remain admitted to Committees of Parliament as long as they are able to commit their respective State departments to the commitments they may have to make in the course of responding to questions.
“Committees remain at liberty to determine, on case by case basis, whether it is the Cabinet secretary, the CAS or Principal Secretary to appear to answer questions and how often they may do so,” he said.
He added that should take into account the weight of the matters contained in the questions before the Committee. The matter came to the fore after Kimilili MP Didmus Baraza rejected attempts to have Health CAS Rashid Aman respond to his question.
Baraza told the Health Committee that the CAS position is not recognised in law and that only the CS or the Principal Secretary (PS) can give the official position of the government.
