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Kenya: Backbench Doing Poorly, Says Deputy Speaker
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The Nation (Nairobi)
8 May 2008
Posted to the web 8 May 2008
Nairobi
MPs have not performed to the expected standard, deputy Speaker Farah Maalim has said.
In what was the first scorecard for them since they were sworn-in four months ago, backbenchers were asked to improve their performance.
"We have 40 pending questions by members in our list from the 132 members this is a dismal performance," Mr Maalim said soon after Question Time. Only one question, by Mr Shakeel Shabbir (Kisumu Town East, ODM), was on the Order Paper on Wednesday.
Mr Chris Okemo (Nambale, ODM) defended his colleagues and asked the deputy Speaker why only one of the 40 questions had been put on the day's order paper by the House Business Committee.
"I need guidance, Mr Speaker, on why the HBC did not place the other members' questions on the order paper," he said.
In his response, Mr Maalim said the questions were on the "conveyor belt" and the backbenchers had no excuse not to present more questions to the committee chaired by Vice-President Kalonzo Musyoka.
"Now that the issue of the Cabinet appointments has been settled, backbenchers have no excuse and should start taking their work more seriously," Mr Maalim, who is the Lagdera MP, said.
Meanwhile, the differences in ODM-Kenya, whose leader is the VP, were played out on the floor of the House when Mr Charles Kilonzo (Yatta, ODM-K) accused his party of being "swallowed" by President Kibaki's PNU.
Mr Kilonzo revealed that a recent ODM-K leaders' meeting had resolved to support PNU parliamentary candidates who will be cleared to vie for the five by-elections in Embakasi, Ainamoi, Emuhaya, Wajir North and Kilgoris next month.
Rising on a point of order, Mr Kiema Kilonzo (Mutito, ODM-K) concurred and asked: "Is it in order for ODM-K with 18 members to agree to be swallowed by PNU?"
But Information minister Samuel Poghisio, who is also the ODM-K chairman, accused the two MPs of stage-managing the point of order for ulterior motives.
"This was a stage-managed point of order by the two members. I would like to be told whether it was in order for the members to stage-manage a point of order in order to impute improper motives on the party that nominated them to this House," Mr Poghisio said.
Overruled
Defence minister Yusuf Haji's attempt to also join the fray was short-lived as the deputy Speaker overruled him, saying he was being irrelevant.
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The debate was kicked off by Mr Kilonzo, who had referred to Mr Musyoka's pledge that if elected President, he would turn the country into a 24-hour economy.
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