New era as MPs call the shots on Budget

By JOHN NGIRACHU jngirachu@ke.nationmedia.com
Posted  Monday, May 20   2013 at  20:02

In Summary

• Committee chairmen have power to increase or reduce budgetary allocations to various sectors, summon Cabinet Secretaries to answer questions and make key decisions on sharing of resources under new rules.

The elections of the men and women to head National Assembly committees has signalled the shifting balance of power under the new Constitution.

In the absence of Cabinet ministers from Parliament, the committee chairpersons elected Monday are considered more important under the current governance structure than they were in previous administrations.

They will be the legislative heads of the House and will introduce Bills on behalf of the government. They also have the power to summon Cabinet Secretaries and any other person to give the committees information.

The teams are also crucial in running the affairs of Parliament because they are involved in preparing the Budget and have the power to increase or reduce budgetary allocations proposed by the Treasury.

Even as the chairmen were elected yesterday, it is unlikely that the teams will finish their scrutiny of the Budget estimates as required by House rules because time has run out.

Each committee is expected to “consider, discuss and review the estimates according to its mandate and submit a report and recommendations to the Budget and Appropriations Committee” within 21 days after the estimates are table in the House. The estimates were tabled on May 2, meaning the report is due on Thursday.

The committees’ first business will be to summon Cabinet Secretaries, get views from the public and other interested parties and then prepare a report to the larger Budget and Appropriations Committee.

Mr Jamleck Kamau (Kigumo, TNA) who was elected chairman of the Energy, Communication and Information Committee, said it is unlikely that the teams will meet the strict deadline.
“I’m not sure we’ll enough time but this can be done in the Budget Committee,” he said after his election.

Mr Adan Duale, the Majority Leader in the National Assembly, had asked all committees to start working on the Budget as a matter of urgency.

“They can work overtime; meet tomorrow (Tuesday), invite Cabinet Secretaries on Wednesday, take input from the public and present a report on Thursday. They can save the situation but we have to be realistic,” he said.

The Budget Committee can also take views from Cabinet Secretaries, the public and other interested parties before submitting its recommendations to the National Assembly.

The committee is this morning scheduled to meet at Ole Sereni hotel in Nairobi for Parliament’s technical staff to tell them more about the team’s role in processing of the 2013/2014 estimates.
There was a flurry of activity at the National Assembly Monday as the committee elections, which started on Friday, entered the second day.

The Jubilee Coalition is using its numbers to take control of most of the teams and elections in most of the committees were a no-contest.

The parties in the Jubilee Coalition held caucuses to nominate their candidates for each of the committees. While the competition in TNA was fierce, at times turning feisty, URP presented a united front and picked their candidates as a bloc.

TNA candidates faced off in most of the committees the party had been asked to lead.

In the Energy Committee, for instance, Mr Kamau and Mithika Linturi (Igembe South, TNA) had to lobby MPs to support their bids. One of President Kenyatta’s aides was seated with journalists in the room to witness the elections held at Continental House. Committee sessions are open to the public.

Mr Kamau garnered 13 votes against Mr Linturi’s 10. Six MPs were absent. Keiyo South MP Jackson Kiptanui was elected vice-chairman.

The same scenario played out in the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, where TNA MPs Amina Abdalla (nominated) faced off with Ms Alice Ng’ang’a (Thika Town). Sources said Ms Ng’ang’a had been elected at the caucus but Ms Abdalla putting to good use her experience in the House to carry the day.

Starehe MP Maina Kamanda will oversee the Transport, Public Works and Housing Committee after beating his TNA counterpart, Mr Ali Wario (Bura) in the polls.

In the Agriculture, Livestock and Cooperatives Committee TNA MPs could not agree on who to back chairman. In the end, Mr Ayub Savula (Lugari, UDF) and Mr Kareke Mbiuki (Maara, TNA) were elected chairman and vice-chairman respectively.

winners
Leaders picked to head National Assembly committees

Transport, Public Works and Housing
1. Maina Kamanda (Starehe, TNA)
2. Mohammed Mohamud (Mandera West, URP)
Finance, Trade and Planning
1. Benjamin Lang’at (Ainamoi, URP)
2. Nelson Gaichuhie (Subukia, TNA)
Defence and Foreign Relations
1. Ndung’u Gethenji (Tetu, TNA)
2. Barre Shill (Fafi, URP)
Regional Integration
1. Florence Kajuju (Meru, TNA)
2. Christopher Nakuleu (Turkana North, URP)
Environment and Natural Resources
1. Amina Abdalla (Nominated, TNA)
2. Alex Kosgey (Emgwen, URP)
Health
1. Rachel Nyamai (Kitui South, Narc)
2. Robert Pukose (Endebess, URP)
Labour and Social Welfare
1. David Were (Matungu, New Ford Kenya)
2. iyah Galgalo (Isiolo, TNA)
Education, Research and Technology
1. Sabina Wanjiru (Murang’a, TNA)
2. Julius Melly (Tinderet, URP)
Energy, Communication and Information
1. Jamleck Kamau (Kigumo, TNA)
2. ackson Kiptanui (Keiyo South, URP)
Agriculture, Livestock and Cooperatives
1. Ayub Savula (Lugari, UDF)
2. Kareke Mbiuki (Maara, TNA)