David Okwembah
6 April 2008
Nairobi — Intense lobbying for key committees in Parliament is expected to be intense as reality dawns on MPs that business in the House has reverted to single party status.
Turbulent times await those named to committees with no opposition party in Parliament for the first time in 15 years.
The House is already in a state of confusion over the seating arrangement where, traditionally, the government party sits to the Speaker's right while the opposition is on the left.
Foreign Affairs minister Moses Wetangula told the Sunday Nation that Kenya had reverted to a one-party state, at least in Parliament.
He said the grand coalition created after the signing of the national Reconciliation Accord finished the opposition.
"The appointment of committee members will be done the same way we used to do it during the one-party state," he said.
Together with their allies, the two parties in the grand coalition have scheduled meetings this week during which members of the two watchdog committees-Public Accounts and Public Investments-are expected to be chosen.
The Parliamentary Service Commission and the Departmental Committee on the Administration of Justice and Legal affairs are also attracting attention.
The powerful office of the Leader of the Official Opposition remains vacant following the formation of a grand coalition between the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), the Party of National Unity (PNU) and its ally the Orange Democratic Movement-Kenya (ODM-K).
Perks
The office carries a salary and perks equivalent to those paid to a cabinet minister as well as personal security.
Deputy Speaker Farrah Maalim called situation in Parliament "a mess", noting that most of the small parties are allied either to ODM or PNU, leaving little room for independents.
But former Kabete MP Paul Muite, who served as chair of the justice and legal affairs committee, foresees many problems in the management of the watchdog committees.
He pointed out that it is not advisable for the government to audit itself, but for lack of an opposition party, committee members will have to be chosen from the government side.
But he described the situation as transitional arrangement after the country was promised a new constitution within 12 months.
"Stability in a country is based on parliamentary multi-party democracy," Mr Muite said, noting that Kenya was now suffering because it had embraced both presidential and parliamentary systems.
The absence of an official opposition leader will also pose a challenge to the constituting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and Public Investments Committee (PIC).
Parliament's standing orders require that the two committees be chaired by an opposition MP, although the ruling party should have the majority in accordance with the principal of proportional representation.
The same requirement applies to the PSC whose legislation provides that the opposition leader as well as two other members from the opposition sit on it.
Many MPs are reported to be quietly lobbying for the appointments since President Mwai Kibaki and prime minister-designate Raila Odinga have chosen not to reveal the makeup of the Cabinet on a later date.
The ODM chief whip Jakoyo Midiwo said lobbying for the key committees had not come out openly because many MPs were hoping for cabinet posts.
He promised to call a meeting on committee membership for Wednesday.
The Gem MP acknowledged that lack of an opposition in Parliament had rendered the specific committees and standing orders irrelevant. But he was categorical that "the appointments in various committees will be done in the spirit of the National Reconciliation Accord".
However, Mr Maalim, who said most MPs were allied to one of the two key parties, singled out Mogotio MP Hellen Sambili as one of the few independent legislators, and he thinks members from small parties should chair the watchdog committees in the absence of an opposition party.
There is no shortage of one-man parties in the House: Harun Mwau's PICK, Cyrus Jirongo's Kaddu, Linah Jebii Kilimo's Kenda and Francis Baya's Kadu-Asili, David Ngugi's Sisi Kwa Sisi, Richard Onyonka's PDP, Ngata Kariuki's Ford-Asili, Walter Nyambati's NLP and the two-man CCU party of Gitobu Imanyara and Wavinya Ndeti.
But Ndung'u Wainaina of the International Centre for Policy and Conflict believes that the fallout from the announcement of the Cabinet as well as the prospect of the next General Election will result into a strong opposition in Parliament.
"The next battlefront is constituting the key committees of parliament like PIC, PAC and the committee on administration of justice and legal affairs, Mr Wainaina said.
He expressed concern that the level of accountability in Parliament would be undermined, adding that if PNU and ODM work in tandem, they will emasculate other democratic forces in the country. He also believes that if the smaller parties come together, they can lay claim to the leader of the official opposition's position.
Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo, who at one time coveted that office, conceded that forging an alliance of at least 33 MPs was a Herculean task.
Both Mr Muite and Mr Wainaina hope that the accord signed between ODM and PNU does not lead to the dissolution of the two parties or others already registered.
"In fact, I am looking forward to the forthcoming by-elections where we expect stiff competition from various political parties", Mr Wainaina said.
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