Mixed reaction in Senate to Uhuru parastatal jobs names

President Uhuru Kenyatta. His appointments to State corporations received mixed reactions among senators on April 29, 2015. AFP FILE PHOTO | ANDREW COWIE 

In Summary

• Some members of the Senate Committee on Finance said the President should have waited until both Houses adopted a new law.
• Majority Leader Moses Wetang’ula (Bungoma, Ford-Kenya) said the President should have waited for the National Assembly and the Senate to adopt new rules governing the running of parastatals.
• Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr said the “President acted as if the regulations were in place yet they are not”.

By JEREMIAH KIPLANG'AT
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President Uhuru Kenyatta’s appointments to State corporations received mixed reactions among senators on Wednesday.

Some senators said it was done before Parliament passed new regulations on the agencies.

Others said there is no law in place as yet that was violated.

The President and his Cabinet secretaries appointed 302 officials to fill various positions in the 79 parastatals through a Gazette notice on Monday.

Most of those appointed are retired public servants and politicians who lost in the 2013 General Election.

Some members of the Senate Committee on Finance said the President should have waited until both Houses adopted a new law.

Majority Leader Moses Wetang’ula (Bungoma, Ford-Kenya) said the President should have waited for the National Assembly and the Senate to adopt new rules governing the running of parastatals.

During a meeting on the regulations at the County Hall in Nairobi on Tuesday, committee chairman Billow Kerrow (Mandera, URP) questioned the legality of the appointments. “If the regulations are not in place, on what basis were the appointments made?” he asked.

The senators said some of the parastatals such as Athi Water Services, Lake Victoria Basin and Coast Development authorities were under the counties as they were performing devolved functions. They said positions in such authorities under the counties should be filled by governors.

Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr said the “President acted as if the regulations were in place yet they are not”.

Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale said: “What took place should not have happened.”

But Nyandarua Senator Godfrey Kariuki said: “The regulations have not been gazetted. The President could not have waited for regulations to be in place,” said Mr Kariuki.

Senators Mutahi Kagwe and Paul Njoroge defended the President, saying he acted according to the existing laws.

Senator Zipporah Kittony (nominated) said: “The President acted using the legislations that are in existence.

Senator Stephen Sang (Nandi, URP) “The President must have followed the laws that established some of these state corporations to make the appointments.