Top agenda for handshake power men, women

President Kenyatta’s and ODM leader Raila Odinga’s new power men and women in Parliament have spelt out key reforms they intend to initiate ahead of the 2022 general elections.

Interviews with multiple MPs on Monday revealed that the lawmakers have their eyes trained on election laws, passing of the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) report, as well as the recruitment of new Chief Justice and electoral commission.

The recent purge that saw key Deputy President William Ruto’s allies kicked out of House leadership granted the Odinga team control of committees crucial to the execution of the BBI report, which the team, led by Garissa Senator Yusuf Haji, says is ready for handover to President Kenyatta and his handshake partner.

Coupled with the naming of Kipipiri MP Amos Kimunya and Navakholo MP Emmanuel Wangwe as the majority leader and majority whip respectively, the envisaged reforms are likely to enjoy a smooth sailing.

Top on the Odinga-allied MPs’ agenda is crafting of election laws through the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee (JLAC).

BBI REPORT

Rarieda MP Otiende Amollo, who was elected vice-chairman of the committee, said their plate is already full, with focus on the aligning of the roles of the anti-corruption agencies and the reconstitution of the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC). “It’s our expectation that at their own convenience, President Kenyatta and Mr Odinga will find it necessary to share the BBI report with Parliament, with JLAC being the committee that will handle it,” Dr Amollo told the Nation yesterday.

“If its implementation is framed in the parliamentary initiative manner of amending the Constitution, JLAC will have its hands full. If not, Parliament will still have a say, anyway, after collection of signatures and the county assemblies debating and passing it.”

On the IEBC, Dr Amollo said “it is very clear that something needs to be done on the electoral body. It has to be constituted way before the next election.”

There have been renewed calls for the disbandment of the IEBC, led by Wafula Chebukati especially after the commission announced its plans to re-use the 2017 elections tools and technology in the 2022 polls.

So crucial is the JLAC committee that it has Mr Wangwe, the majority whip, and his minority counterpart Junet Mohamed in what Minority Leader John Mbadi said was not a coincidence. “This [JLAC] is a committee where we need serious order. Going forward, we know what we expect.

“The BBI report is going to come and a lot of it is going to be dealt with in this House. So we expect the two whips to work with the chair and the vice-chair to bring order in terms of legislation,” Mr Mbadi told the House.

CRUCIAL COMMITTEE

Besides Dr Amollo, the committee chaired by Kangema MP Muturi Kigano has MPs Antony Oluoch (Mathare), Peter Kaluma (Homa Bay Town), and Olago Aluoch (Kisumu Town West), all lawyers allied to Mr Odinga at the crucial committee.

“No general can go to war without fully prepared soldiers. So the generals are just putting their troops in order for the task ahead, which is BBI, 2022 politics and parliamentary business,” Mr Mohamed said, with Mr Mbadi asking ODM legislators at the helm of committees to “raise accountability issues without being malicious.”

Another crucial team is the Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC), led by Ndaragwa MP Jeremiah Kioni, which has already published a referendum bill that is  supposed to undergo a second reading next week.

Mr Kioni is now deputised by Mr Kaluma, the Homa Bay Town MP who also sits in the JLAC committee. The bill is necessary as the Constitution demands a referendum, expected to be proposed by the BBI report, for a change to the supreme law on any issue relating to the terms of office of the President, functions of Parliament, the independence of the Judiciary, supremacy of the Constitution and the territory of Kenya, among others.

The Haji steering committee, had in March suggested that it could present its report together with a draft referendum bill for proposals that would require a plebiscite.

CONSTITUTION

Mr Kaluma — the new committee vice-chairperson — told the Nation that apart from the referendum bill, the team will continue to audit the Constitution and recommend necessary changes to better its provisions and improve good governance in the country.

This will include supporting initiatives geared to this end.

This, Mr Kaluma said, is to ensure all the existing laws are consistent with the Constitution. “To this end, the committee will recommend repeal of all laws it shall find inconsistent with the Constitution,” he said.

“There have been complaints that some authorities have been reluctant to act in accordance with the Constitution in particular circumstances. The committee will strive to engage the concerned authorities with a view to secure compliance with the letter and spirit Constitution.”

Newly-elected chairperson of Finance and Planning Committee Gladys Wanga said their immediate task is to dispense the Public Finance Management (Amendment) Bill, which has already undergone first reading.

The bill seeks to amend the Public Finance Management Act, 2012, to give Treasury Cabinet secretary the powers to guarantee loans advanced to the micro, small and medium enterprises.

Ms Wanga, who made history by becoming the first woman chairperson of the powerful committee, gave her word on the Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

She said: “We are determined as a committee to help the President in making his promise to SMEs come true to help them overcome the effects of [the] coronavirus pandemic,” she said.

SMEs were also targeted in the Sh10 billion allocated to the Kenya Revenue Authority for outstanding Value Added Tax refunds.

Wajir Woman Rep Fatuma Gedi, who was elected vice-chairperson of Administration and National Security, told the Nation that the immediate task is ensuring security and stability during Covid-19 period.

“Everything starts with security. The President can only achieve his agenda when there is stability and security in the country, so we will strive to achieve this through a number of policies and regulations,” Ms Gedi said.

Busia Woman Rep Florence Mutua, who was recently elected Education Committee chairperson, said upon resumption of House sittings, the team will update MPs on the measures the Ministry of Education is putting in place in anticipation of reopening of schools next year.

Ms Mutua said the committee will have a meeting with Education CS George Magoha on July 29 so as to be taken through the state of preparedness by the ministry.

But Jubilee deputy Secretary-General Caleb Kositany, a key Ruto ally, said the changes made on the membership of the committees were out of an insincere motive.

“If something is not founded on truth and sincerity, the truth will always come out. All these efforts we see are to push an unpopular agenda that is the BBI. And so I ask: Why are we not respecting democracy, and instead are looking for yes-men and yes-women in committees?”

Additional reporting by Onyango K’onyango