Thursday, September 30, 2021 – President Uhuru Kenyatta and ODM leader Raila Odinga have registered a huge win after the National Assembly approved a bill allowing the president to pick Cabinet appointees from Parliament just as the Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) had envisaged.
The Bill proposes that Cabinet Secretaries be picked from among MPs as opposed to the current arrangement where they are drawn from technocrats.
“Committee, noting the proposals from the public and having considered the same together with the Court of Appeal decision in Civil Appeal no E291 of 2021 over the constitutionality of the Building Bridges Initiative (Constitutional Amendment) Bill 2020, recommends that it be adopted and passed without amendments,” Constitutional Implementation Oversight Committee (CIOC) chaired by Ndaragwa Member of Parliament Jeremiah Kioni,” stated in its report.
Also, at the county level, the governors will appoint Members of the County Assembly (MCAs) to their Cabinet.
Parliamentarians noted that having Cabinet Secretaries in Parliament would enhance accountability among them and County Executive Commissions, as ministers appointed from outside the House owe allegiance to their appointing authorities.
They also noted that ministers appointed from Members of Parliament would be more sensitive to issues affecting citizens because they are directly accountable to the public.
The MPs argued that the Bill would help reduce the cost of running the government through reduction of wage bills since MPs and MCAs will serve as CSs and CECs.
Recently, Deputy President William Ruto castigated the Legislators’ move, accusing them of wasting time as they attempt to revive the collapsed Building Bridges Initiative (BBI) through the backdoor by amending the Constitution.
.jpg)
.jpg)
0 Comments