The poor performance by some committees come despite the attractive salaries and allowances...
Pro-government MPs chairing key National Assembly committees have come under scrutiny for failing to push Cabinet secretaries to respond to pressing issues raised by lawmakers on behalf of citizens, putting the performance of House watchdog committees under the spotlight.
The National Assembly’s committees on Administration and Internal Security and Transport and Infrastructure top a list of 19 committees that have failed to provide responses to matters raised by MPs.
A report tabled by Deputy Majority Leader Owen Baya shows that the Administration and Internal Security Committee, chaired by Narok West MP Gabriel Tongoyo, had failed to respond to 26 requests on security matters by the time the House went on a month-long recess on Thursday.
The Transport and Infrastructure Committee chaired by Ndia MP George Kariuki was ranked the second-worst performer, with 21 unanswered requests by lawmakers on infrastructure development.
The report, tabled in the National Assembly on the instructions of Speaker Moses Wetang’ula, also shows that the Education Committee chaired by Tinderet MP Julius Melly had failed to provide responses to 18 requests concerning the education sector.
Mr Tongoyo, Mr Kariuki and Mr Melly chair the influential committees after being elected to Parliament on the United Democratic Alliance (UDA) ticket, the dominant party in the Kenya Kwanza administration.
The report does not indicate the urgency or nature of the individual requests but highlights the effectiveness of committee chairpersons and House committees in responding to concerns raised by lawmakers on behalf of the public.
“I wish to lay another important document on the Table of the House: A statement which was requested by the Speaker after Members of this House requested that they would like to know how their Requests for Statements have been treated by various committees.
The Speaker directed that I present this report now and I would like to use this opportunity, with your indulgence and guidance, to table it,” Mr Baya said.
The poor performance by some committee chairpersons comes despite the attractive salaries, allowances and benefits provided to MPs to support their official duties.
MPs and senators serving on parliamentary committees receive committee sitting allowances.
The Salaries and Remuneration Commission (SRC) has set the allowance for committee chairpersons at Sh15,000 per sitting, capped at Sh240,000 a month.
Vice-chairpersons receive Sh12,000 per sitting with a monthly ceiling of Sh192,000 while committee members receive Sh7,500 per sitting, up to a maximum of Sh120,000 a month.
MPs and senators earn a gross monthly salary of Sh739,600 comprising a basic salary of Sh443,760, house allowance of Sh150,000 commuter allowance and a salary market adjustment of Sh145,840.
Mr Baya tabled a tracker of all Statements requested by MPs and asked lawmakers to peruse it to establish the status of their requests.
“I am happy that the chairman of the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security is here. He needs to respond to when he will table responses on the 26 Statements that have been requested.
“Chairpersons of committees need to be in the House at this time. The bulk of pending Statements, which should worry us, is with the Departmental Committee on Transport and Infrastructure, led by Hon. GK (George Kariuki), who has not responded to 21 Statements. I think he is busy running for governor or something,” he said while tabling the list of pending statements.
MP Baya urged chairpersons of departmental committees to ensure they table responses from Cabinet secretaries or relevant government agencies on time, saying this was part of their responsibility to their constituents.
“They do it on behalf of their constituents. That obligates us as chairpersons of departmental committees to make sure they are responded to not only concisely and precisely, but also on time. This will ensure that Parliament does not work in vain,” Mr Baya said.
The tracker shows that the departmental committees on Health and Finance and National Planning, headed by Seme MP James Nyikal and Molo MP Kuria Kimani respectively, each had eight pending requests.
The Lands Committee led by North Mugirango MP Joash Nyamoko had seven pending responses on land matters raised by MPs on behalf of their constituents.
The Defence, Intelligence and Foreign Relations Committee, chaired by Belgut MP Nelson Koech, had six pending requests, while the Agriculture and Livestock Committee, chaired by Tigania West MP John Mutunga, had five.
The Energy Committee under the leadership of Nakuru Town East MP David Gikaria and the Labour Committee Kilifi South MP Ken Chonga, each had five pending requests.
The Environment, Forestry and Mining Committee under the stewardship of Mwala MP Vincent Musyoka had four pending responses on environmental and climate change issues.
Maara MP Kareke Mbiuki, who chairs the Tourism and Wildlife Committee and Kuresoi South MP Joseph Tonui who heads the Housing, Urban Planning and Public Works Committee, each had three pending matters before the House.
Other committees with pending responses were Communication, Information and Innovation, chaired by Dagoretti South MP John Kiarie (two); Justice and Legal Affairs, chaired by George Murugara (one); Social Protection, chaired by Alice Ng’ang’a (one); Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, chaired by Bernard Shinali (one); and the Budget and Appropriations Committee, chaired by Samuel Atandi (one).
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