• Duale last week said director of committees had raised the alarm over poor attendance
• Says a committee with 19 members sometimes records less than nine in a sitting
Image: FILE
A storm is looming in Parliament tomorrow as Majority Leader Aden Duale is expected to table a report on committee attendance.
Duale last week said the director of committees had raised the alarm over poor attendance of various committees, an issue that has crippled House operations.
During a heated debate, Duale told Speaker Justin Muturi the director had compiled the list of members who had missed sittings more than three times.
He said it was shocking some chairpersons and their deputies missed sittings without a valid explanation.
“Mr Speaker, either respective chairs are not calling the meetings or those summoned are not appearing before the committees. We are seeing a trend where same questions from members are read every Thursday and we have no one from committees to respond to,” Duale said.
He said committees have developed a structured way to delay responding to issues asked by members.
“Mr Speaker, the majority of chairs of these committees are skipping sittings. Look at the Agriculture committee and the Health committee. No one is here to respond to questions,” he said.
The Agriculture committee is chaired by Benjamin Washiali while Health is chaired by Sabina Chege.
Duale said as per Standing Orders, communication must be made to the clerk in case of inability to attend a meeting.
“Mr Speaker, I am going to table a report compiled by the director of committees on how many ministers have skipped summons, how many have appeared, how many chairs do not convene meetings and how many members don’t attend," he said.
Duale said the august House cannot act in vain.
The Standing Orders require that chairs and vice chairs be in the House until at least 5pm.
“We have order papers on our website and we even post them on the WhatsApp group in order for the members to familiarize themselves,” he said.
"It is a shame when a member of a committee adopts and signs a report, then comes to this House and moves an amendment to the same report. What is even amazing is when you see chairs moving reports contrary to recommendations.”
The Garissa Town MP took issue with some MPs whom he accused of logging in at the chambers and disappearing.
“I have heard members like in five committees ask me when they are going for trips. We have the House business committee, the selection committee, appointments committee, Powers and Privileges committee and the pensions committee," he said.
Duale said some members of committees go to an extent of intimidating their respective chairpersons if their names miss on the trips list.
“They are the ones who will lead others in signing the vote of no confidence if denied a chance for a trip yet they do not come for sittings," he added.
Duale said it concerns the leadership of the House that a committee that constitutes of 19 members will have less than nine people in a sitting with no communication on the whereabouts of the rest.
His sentiments were echoed by Speaker Muturi who said any members who have missed a sitting for more than three times will be thrown out of the committees.
Muturi said, “We want to see the report on attendance. If I am not to be in the chamber, my deputy must be aware. If you cannot attend committees, you are of no use to the country”.
Muturi further said the House had been alerted to a trend by Cabinet Secretaries skipping summons by MPs.
He said most of the time Cabinet Administrative Secretaries who have no overriding authority to speak for the CS are sent to the committees.
The Speaker challenged the committee leadership to transact their businesses seriously.
"The CS must be able to communicate his inability to attend a committee. You have the powers, deal with them. Don’t negotiate because this is a House governed by Standing Orders,’ Muturi said.