Speaker moves to clarify roles of House committees

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi has ruled that departmental committees are to oversee the administration of ministries and parastatals. FILE 

By EDWIN MUTAI, emutai@ke.nationmedia.com

In Summary

• The 11th Parliament has come under criticism for duplication of roles among teams.

House Speaker Justin Muturi has moved to end turf wars between watchdog and departmental committees over who should oversee the operations of ministries and parastatals.

The 11th Parliament has come under criticism for committees holding parallel investigations into the same matter like in the case of the Public Investments Committee (PIC) and the the Finance, Trade and Planning Committee that both probed the sale of government shares in the Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited (KPRL).

In a ruling setting out mandates of committees, Mr Muturi said departmental committees are to oversee the administration of ministries and parastatals while PIC and the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) examine spending of money voted by the House.

“We would not, therefore, expect the PAC or PIC to delve into such matters as review of pieces of legislation, vetting of appointments or matters of administration of ministries or State corporations,” Mr Muturi said.

He also ruled out the possibility of joint sitting by either PAC or PIC — which are referred to as watchdog or audit committees — with departmental committees that are in charge of sectors.

PAC is provided for under Standing Order 205 into government expenditures while PIC monitors the management of public investments in accordance with prudent business practice based on the reports of the Auditor General.

PIC chairman Adan Keynan had sought the speaker’s guidance following apparent conflict of mandates between PIC, PAC and departmental committees.

In the refinery case, the two committees summoned chief executive officers to shed light on how Essar Energy of India acquired 50 per cent stake in KPRL for $3 million (Sh255 million).

PIC has also clashed with the Energy and Communications Committee over the sale of government shareholding in Telkom Kenya to France Telecom. The two committees are yet to file reports on the dilution of government shares.

Mr Keynan sought to know who between PIC and PAC should examine the reports of the Auditor- General and accounts of statutory State agencies such as the Central Bank of Kenya and agencies established under the Roads Act, Kenya National Highways Authority, Kenya Rural Roads Authority and Kenya Urban Roads Authority.

He also asked the Speaker to clarify whether the appearance of State corporations’ management before the PAC amounts to delving into the PIC mandate.

“The PAC has no mandate of examining accounts of State corporations as that is the mandate of the PIC,” Mr Muturi said.