MPs set to start probe into rail contract, cost

Starehe MP Maina Kamanda addresses his constituency members when he toured Gikomba on August 27th 2013.  Photo/ANN KAMONI

In Summary

• The committee announced Wednesday it would also meet the Chief of Staff at the Office of the Deputy President, the Public Procurement Oversight Authority and the Treasury as it seeks to find out the truth about the contract.
• The team has since met Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau and Principal Secretary Nduva Muli.

By JOHN NGIRACHU
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Officials from Kenya Railways Corporation, Ministry of Transport and the Attorney-General are scheduled to meet the National Assembly’s Transport Committee from next week over the new railway tender.

The committee announced Wednesday it would also meet the Chief of Staff at the Office of the Deputy President, the Public Procurement Oversight Authority and the Treasury as it seeks to find out the truth about the contract.

Committee chairman Maina Kamanda told reporters they aimed to conclude their investigations and table a report as soon as the House resumed sittings on February 11.

The team met Wednesday to lay out the schedule for meetings and start the process of inviting the civil servants it expects to shed more light on the controversial award of the job to the state-owned China Road and Bridge Corporation.

“This matter has generated a lot of interest and this committee should be in the lead to give Kenyans information from the people it has interviewed,” said Mr Kamanda, the Starehe MP.

The committee’s assertions mean that when the House committees start their meetings after next week, there will be two parallel investigations on the contract.

Asked about the investigation by the Public Investments Committee, Mr Kamanda and his team maintained there would be no conflict despite the fact that the two teams could end up with different opinions on the matter.

Both teams claim to derive their mandate over the matter from the Standing Orders and directions from the Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr Justin Muturi.

The Transport Committee began its inquiries after Nyali MP Hezron Awiti asked for a statement from the Transport Committee chairman on November 14.

The team has since met Transport Cabinet Secretary Michael Kamau and Principal Secretary Nduva Muli.

On December 4, a day before Parliament’s Christmas break, Narok South MP Korei ole Lemein (URP) asked a similar question, and the Speaker directed the Public Investments Committee to investigate the matter.

In a communication the following day, Mr Muturi said the job of the departmental committees extended to government departments “and should not be confused with State corporations.”

He said this entailed matters such as “review of pieces of legislation, vetting of appointments or matters of administration of ministries or State corporations.”

Referring to the Standing Orders, Mr Muturi said PIC was allowed to examine, considering the autonomy and the efficiency of public investments, whether their affairs were being managed “in accordance with sound financial or business principles and prudent commercial practices.”

The Speaker also ruled out chances that PIC could have joint sittings with the Transport or any other departmental committee.

According to Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi, though, “these committees, with their inherent capacity limitations, may not go far.”

He said a Judicial Commission of Inquiry would do a better job at establishing the legality of the contract, whether Chinese firm had the capacity, why the cost of the project increased and identify those responsible.