The 28-member committee is expected to submit its report to Parliament on Tuesday afternoon. Photo/FILE.
“The vetting team is meeting at a Nairobi hotel to review the vetting exercise which they were undertaking since Thursday. They are racing against time to prepare a report for parliament,” one of the MPs told Capital FM News.
The 28-member committee is expected to submit its report to Parliament on Tuesday afternoon, recommending the approval or rejection of the nominees to serve in the country’s first cabinet appointed under the Constitution promulgated in 2010.
The report is a culmination of a three-day vetting exercise after President Uhuru Kenyatta submitted the names of the 16 persons to the National Assembly.
The MPs are evaluating the suitability of cabinet nominees Anne Waiguru (Devolution and Planning), Raychelle Omamo (Defence), Amina Mohammed (Foreign Affairs), Jacob Kaimenyi (Education, Science and Technology) and the National Treasury nominee Henry Rotich to serve in the government.
On Friday, the MPs held sessions with Health nominee James Macharia, Transport and Infrastructure nominee Michael Kamau, Judy Wakhungu (Environment, Water and Mineral Resources) Charity Ngilu (Land, Housing and Urban Development) and Information, Communication and Technology nominee Fred Matiang’i.
On Saturday they vetted Sports, Culture and Arts nominee Hassan Arero, Energy and Petroleum nominee Davis Chirchir, Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries nominee Felix Koskei, Industrialisation and Enterprise Development nominee Adan Mohammed as well as East African Affairs, Commerce and Tourism nominee Phyllis Kandie before they closed with former cabinet minister Najib Balala who is proposed for the Mining ministry.
The nominees vetted so far were questioned on their sources of income and wealth and all the assets they own and whether they pay their taxes besides integrity issues.
If a nominee is rejected by the MPs, the president will have to replace the affected slot and send a fresh name to the Speaker for vetting as required by law.
Those successfully approved by parliament will be appointed and subsequently sworn in to take up their new jobs.
National Assembly Clerk Justin Bundi told Capital FM News on Sunday that the House will debate and vote on the suitability of each nominee.
“The report which is a culmination of the three day vetting exercise will be tabled in parliament on Tuesday afternoon where it will either be adopted or rejected by the house,” he said.
The motion will require a simple majority to pass in the National Assembly after which the president can formally appoint the nominees.
President Kenyatta and his deputy William Ruto are yet to fill the Labour and the Interior and Coordination of National Government ministerial slots to complete their 18-member Cabinet.
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