Uteuzi wa Rais Uhuru wapingwa na kupigwa chini na Bunge

Uteuzi wa Rais Uhuru wapingwa na kupigwa chini na Bunge

MK254

MK254

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Dr Monica Juma, President Kenyatta's nominee for Secretary to the Cabinet,


The National Assembly on Thursday rejected the nomination of Dr Monica Juma to serve as secretary to the Cabinet after a chaotic session chaired by Speaker Justin Muturi.

The lawmakers adopted the report of the Committee on Administration and National Security that vetted the former Defence principal secretary.

Until her nomination, Dr Juma was the Interior principal secretary.

Major General (rtd) Gordon Kihalangwa was nominated to take up her post, and he is awaiting vetting by the National Assembly.

In the report, the committee had recommended her rejection, accusing her of "arrogance and insensitivity", and that she was unable to spell out her achievements at the Defence and Interior ministries.

LETTER ISSUE

"The nominee lacked demonstrable passion to serve the public and their elected leaders," the committee said in its report.

However, their verdict was largely based on the letter Dr Juma wrote to clerks of the National Assembly and the Senate, asking them to stop MPs from trooping to her office, seeking appointments and transfers for their people.

During the chaotic session, MPs jostled to contribute to the Motion on her approval.

Tiaty MP Asman Kamama, who chairs the National Assembly Committee on Security, claimed Dr Juma did not articulate her achievements at previous postings.

Gatanga lawmaker Humphrey Njuguna argued that since MPs are representatives of the people, her saying that MPs were unwelcome in her office signalled a rejection of Kenyans in total.

'DARK SMOKE'

"MPs represent (the) sovereign power of the people and when we go to her office, it is to represent that power. Our committee went through the whole motion of vetting her but only dark smoke emerged. There was never the white smoke," said the Gatanga MP.

Majority Leader Aden Duale was booed by MPs for the more than 10 minutes he spoke, urging his colleagues not to rush the matter.

He said there was a minority in the House that required to be heard over the matter, and urged the majority to accord them their constitutional right.

Speaker Justin Muturi also had a hard time trying to control the noise in the House as protestations from MPs on both sides of the divide threatened to bring business to a halt.

DELAY REJECTED

"The majority will always have their say and the minority has their say," he said as he pleaded with the MPs to listen to Mr Duale and Minority Leader Francis Nyenze.

A proposal by Mr Duale to extend the duration for considering Dr Juma by 14 days was rejected in a vote.

A total of 152 lawmakers voted to defeat the proposal against 50 who backed it.

MPs reject Uhuru's pick for Cabinet post - News | Daily Nation
 
Kidogo hapo MNA ubavu wenzetu mnampingia mni kulu
 
CIC to move to court over Monica Juma's rejection, accuses MPs of abusing power


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Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution chairman Charles Nyachae. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP

By OTIATO GUGUYU

 In Summary


  • He noted that MPs had developed a habit of abusing their powers, contravening articles of the Constitution that required them to be objective.
  • On Thursday, MPs unanimously rejected the nomination of Dr Juma over a letter she authored opposing frequent visits by MPs to her offices.
  • Mr Nyachae states that this was not among the eight points to look out for when vetting a public officer, adding that Kenyans should be proud of Dr Juma for standing firm against unconstitutional requests by legislators.

The Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) has said it will go after MPs who signed committee recommendations rejecting the appointment of Dr Monica Juma.


CIC chairman Charles Nyachae said the commission would go to court to have the legislators declared unfit for office for abusing their power.

He claimed the National Assembly's Security and National Administration Committee, chaired by Tiaty MP Asman Kamama, had contravened Chapter 6 and Article 73 of the Constitution as the rejection of Dr Juma was not based on any criteria in law but on the personal interests of the legislators.

"What occasioned her rejection was alleged impoliteness and rudeness to MPs and not the procedure used to arrive at the nominee, constitutional requirements or her suitability," Mr Nyachae said at the CIC offices in Nairobi.

He noted that MPs had developed a habit of abusing their powers, contravening articles of the Constitution that required them to be objective.

In the past two weeks, MPs used the budget to hit at "offensive" institutions by slashing budgetary allocations to the Senate, the Judiciary and the Salaries and Remuneration Commission.

REDUCE ALLOCATIONS

"From the pronouncement on the floor of the House, it was clear that the decision to reduce the allocations was not based on the budgetary needs of the institutions but the perceived conduct against the interest of the National Assembly and its members," Mr Nyachae said.

On Thursday, MPs unanimously rejected the nomination of Dr Juma over a letter she authored opposing frequent visits by MPs to her offices.

Mr Nyachae states that this was not among the eight points to look out for when vetting a public officer, adding that Kenyans should be proud of Dr Juma for standing firm against unconstitutional requests by legislators.

He noted that MPs missed the point on the exercise of sovereignty because Dr Juma, as an extension of the Executive arm of government, was also acting on behalf of the Kenyan public.

Parliament's unpopular decisions are increasingly isolating the House, which has come under reproach from all corners.

President Uhuru Kenyatta has expressed disappointment with MPs for rejecting his nominee and denying him a chance to have on board "a dedicated civil servant".

The governors have also expressed discontent with the National Assembly, proposing to include a question asking Kenyans to introduce laws to tame MPs in their Pesa Mashinani referendum.

Council of Governors chairman Peter Munya described the National Assembly as a "rogue" institution whose powers needed to be clipped.

The CIC chair said the commission was concerned that Parliament had become an impediment to the Constitution at a time when the CIC mandate is coming to an end.

CIC to sue MPs over Juma's rejection - News | Daily Nation
 
Kama kuna kitu kinaniuma hii issue, yaani jamaa wamekua mafisi na wanataka kumhangaisha huyu mama bure tu eti kwa ajili alikataa kutekeleza maagizo yao binafsi. I wish there was anything we citizen could do. Yaani hawa wabunge washanifika kwenye koo, wananisababishia kichefuchefu.
 
MPs must not misuse vetting to settle scores

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In Summary



  • From the hearings of the National Assembly's Committee on Administration and National Security that sat to vet Dr Juma, onto the debate in the House on Thursday, it was clear that MPs had absolutely no solid grounds to reject her appointment.
  • President Kenyatta has expressed his disappointment with the National Assembly's rejection of his nominee for the new job, but we would hope that this is not the end of the matter.
  • Vetting of senior public officers was inserted in the Constitution as a noble devise to ensure that the Executive does not misuse its authority in placing unqualified and undesirable people in key offices.

The National Assembly has outdone itself once again with the rejection of President Uhuru Kenyatta's nominee for secretary to the Cabinet, Dr Monicah Juma.


A public servant with superior academic and professional credentials, a stellar record and absolutely no blemishes in a distinguished career, she was locked out simply because MPs wanted to punish her for perceived slights.

From the hearings of the National Assembly's Committee on Administration and National Security that sat to vet Dr Juma, onto the debate in the House on Thursday, it was clear that MPs had absolutely no solid grounds to reject her appointment.

Indeed the report from the committee noted her unmatched credentials and record but took issue only with a letter she wrote as principal secretary for Interior seeking to regulate the visits by MPs to the ministry.

It is clear that the legislators chose to wilfully misinterpret the letter as a violation of the right of citizens and their representatives to secure services from the ministry.

Far from that. It addressed specifically the tendency of MPs to barge into the ministry, making irregular demands on the hiring, promotion and transfers of public servants. It is these demands by MPs that are in violation of the law, not the actions taken to halt political interference in the running of the ministry.

Before her nomination as secretary to the Cabinet, Dr Juma had served with distinction as PS in the sensitive Interior docket, in the Defence ministry and at the Kenya mission at the African Union.

We can only hope now that the shameful and petty action by the Legislature will not bring to an end the public service career of a dedicated, committed and competent officer.

President Kenyatta has expressed his disappointment with the National Assembly's rejection of his nominee for the new job, but we would hope that this is not the end of the matter.

Since she was already serving as a principal secretary, we would urge that she be retained in the post, and if that is legally difficult, she be retained as a special adviser to the Presidency.

It is important that the President demonstrate strong backing for Dr Juma, and put the Legislature on notice that it cannot be allowed to subvert the vetting process on a vendetta.

Vetting of senior public officers was inserted in the Constitution as a noble devise to ensure that the Executive does not misuse its authority in placing unqualified and undesirable people in key offices. It must not now be misused by the Legislature in pursuit of petty and selfish ends.

However, there must also be acknowledgment that Dr Juma was let down by the appointing authority.

A large majority of those who agitated against her appointment were from the governing Jubilee coalition. The Whip mechanism in Parliament exists so that parties can marshal their troops behind specific causes.

MPs who defy the party line do so at risk of being de-whipped - that is being removed from House committees - or even being denied a party ticket come the next elections. The enthusiasm with which Jubilee MPs rallied against the president's choice shows they were not afraid of any sanctions.

EDITORIAL: MPs must not misuse vetting to settle scores - Editorials | Daily Nation
 
Very true democracy...!!! Kwenye ukweli tuwasifie Kenyans...
 
Hii ni picha mbaya kabisa ya jinsi wabunge wanavyoweza kutumia nafasi yao vibaya.

Huyu Mama alipaswa kupongezwa kwa misimamo yake na watumishi wengine wanapaswa waige mfano wa Mama huyu.

Dr Monica Juma nimempenda ghafla kwa msimamo wake huo.
 
We need such Constitutional Reform in which the House will mean fully representative of the majority. Bravo to Kenyas' House
 
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