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Kenya: MPs in the Dark On Ministry Roles
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The Nation (Nairobi)
9 May 2008
Posted to the web 9 May 2008
Nairobi
Conflict over territorial boundaries between various ministries were exposed in Parliament on Thursday.
Those involved included Defence minister Yusuf Haji, Internal Security assistant minister Orwa Ojode and MPs Bonny Khalwale (Ikolomani, New Ford-K) and Charles Kilonzo (Yatta, ODM-K).
Mr Haji declined to respond to a request for a statement over the military operation in Mt Elgon.
Area MP Fred Kapondi had asked the ministry to inform the House how many people had been killed and property destroyed in the operation.
"The request for the statement is misplaced because the correct ministry is that of Internal Security. What we (the military) are doing is only giving assistance," said Mr Haji.
House Speaker Kenneth Marende agreed with him noting that the Internal Security ministry was in charge of the operation flush out members of the Sabaot Land
Defence Forces. Just as Mr Ojode was sitting down after promising that they will deliver the statement next Wednesday, Dr Khalwale shot up and asked how the military landed in Mt Elgon.
"Mr Speaker, we would like your guidance here. How did the military men end up in Mt Elgon?" he posed before Mr Marende asked him to stop anticipating information to be contained in the statement.
Assistant minister
Said Mr Kapondi: "The locals highly supported this operation was in the beginning but they now hate it so much."
Mr Marende also directed Mr Ojode to respond to a supplementary question by Kisumu Town East MP Shakeel Shabbir (ODM) who had wanted to know why the assistant minister was misleading the House that there was an anti-stock theft unit in Bondo district, Nyanza.
"Why is the minister saying that there is an anti-stock theft unit in Bondo when there is none?" he asked.
"He is asking about Bondo yet he comes from Kisumu Town East. He should be serious and we will respond," he said. But Dr Khalwale, on a point of order, said that once an MP has been elected, he can ask a question touching on any constituency.
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Mr Ojode said there were three anti-stock theft units in Nyanza and one was located in Bondo District.
But Mr Shabbir said the units were located in Masaba and Kopere.
Reports by Owino Opondo and Bernard Namunane
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