CSs to field questions in House in new rules

A sitting of the National Assembly.

A sitting of the National Assembly. 

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

Cabinet secretaries could be compelled to appear before a special House sitting each week to respond to queries if the 13th Parliament gives life to a suspended rule.

Currently, the CSs respond to queries through committees that then submit their findings or reports to the whole House.

This has often led to complaints by MPs who accuse committee chairpersons of delaying their responses and often shifting blame to the CSs when pushed to expound on answers.

The Procedure and House Rules Committee is reviewing the Standing Orders for effective discharge of legislative business and the suspended rule requiring CSs to appear on the floor of the House at a set time to answer questions could be considered.

In the old constitution when cabinet ministers were also MPs, this used to happen on Tuesday afternoon, often leading to lively interactions between the Back Bench and the government.

National Assembly Speaker Justin Muturi and Clerk Michael Sialai have identified the absence of CSs in Parliament as an impediment to effective oversight of the executive.

At an engagement workshop with the Kenya Parliamentary Journalists Association (KPJA), Mr Muturi said he hopes that the committee will be in place in the 13th Parliament to enhance accountability.

Mr Muturi said the committee was to take shape in the 11th Parliament but faced several hurdles and was suspended after former Water CS Charity Ngilu made her inaugural appearance in 2014.

“The committee will improve accountability as cabinet secretaries will be able to tell Kenyans what they are doing in their respective ministries to address the challenges,” Mr Muturi said.

He pointed out that the practice is common in the United Kingdom and has yielded positive results as people are keen on the performance of the government.

MPs in the 11th Parliament amended the Standing Orders to create a committee on general oversight under the chairmanship of the Speaker or deputy.

The committee was to sit every Tuesday to question CSs on the floor of the House. Every MP was to be a member.

The move hit a snag after the CSs, the Constitution Implementation Commission (CIC) and the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) threatened to challenge it in court in 2014.

The CIC and LSK opposed the move saying it went against the spirit of separation of powers following promulgation of the 2010 constitution which created a presidential system where the Cabinet is picked from outside Parliament.