The Devolution ministry was yesterday put on the spot for frustrating and sabotaging the work of the Intergovernmental Relations Technical Committee that took over from the Transitional Authority. Technical committee chairman Karega Mutahi accused Devolution CS Mwangi Kiunjuri of denying his team facilities, hence grounding its work. He said members of the committee are forced to use matatus while on official duties.
Vice chair Allyce Kureiya, told the Njoroge Baiya-led Constitution Implementation Oversight Committee the team has been been forced to use personal computers and their workstations are not internet-enabled. “We are completely grounded. Our chair was given one Passat, which cannot go to the field,” Kureiya told MPs. “We have been denied vehicles that initially belonged to the Transitional Authority, we wanted to take over the budget and the assets that belonged to TA but the ministry is denying us.”
Kiunjuri, however, dismissed the claims, saying the committee cannot use the entire TA budget with less responsibilities.
“I am surprised we are here, I have no interest of interfering with the work of this committee. It is my work to facilitate them and ensure it is running, it is not a favour,” the CS said. Budalang’i MP Ababu Namwamba, accused the technical committee of misinterpreting the law that establishes their office.
“This is a storm in a tea cup that we should not discuss here, you cannot say you want to be independent, yet you are neither a council nor a commission,” he said.
Baiya said there is need to resolve the wrangles to ensure smooth transfer of devolution functions. He directed the two groups to resolve their problems in three weeks and report back to the committee.