MPs cry foul over Muturi gag on BBI report
.The Constitution Implementation and Oversight Committee is crying foul over Speaker Justin Muturi’s ruling that it should retreat to Mombasa to discuss the BBI report.
Its members' concern is that the directive is likely to be comfortable with other government agencies which may opt to block MPs from initiating any probe.
“That is a ruling that can be comfortable with the Executive and even the Judiciary. They can easily say a committee has not been allowed by Parliament to oversight,” CIOC chairman Jeremiah Kioni said.
The Ndaragwa MP on Wednesday expressed the committee’s reservations on Muturi’s decision and called for caution so that the ruling is not misinterpreted.
The speaker last Thursday ruled that Parliament can only spend money on committees discussing the report after it is received formally.
“The BBI report has not found legs to reach Parliament. Any committee of the House that may be desirous of discussing it will be doing it outside the functions of Parliament,” Muturi ruled.
He said the only official communication with regards to the BBI process is a gazette notice on the appointment of the task force that came up with the report.
“For the time being, you are at liberty to read the document but until such a time the report will be formally submitted to Parliament, it is not part of us,” the speaker said.
But Kioni argued that the ruling may be taken to gag Parliament from investigating other matters in future.
He holds that the Building Bridges Initiative report was generated by the Executive using public officers paid by taxpayers’ money, hence any committee should be allowed to seize it.
Kioni said much as they will abide by the directive, “it is noteworthy that it goes against the practice of Commonwealth Parliament.”
The committee’s take is that since MPs were officially invited to Bomas of Kenya for the launch by the speaker, “Parliament can no longer pretend not to know there was such a document".
“This BBI report was launched officially at Bomas and posted online hence access via the internet. Once you have it from the internet, nobody should question the authenticity,” Kioni said.
“Every committee in Parliament must be proactive. It cannot wait for a letter to be written for it to do an investigation."
Kioni said the CIOC welcomes the move that BBI proponents are coming with a committee of experts, “but I don’t think you can wish away the role of the elected representative of the people".
The lawmaker argued that the uncertainty around the report will open floodgates for it to succumb to the prejudices and fears that erupted before the document was released.
“With the foregoing, the bridge the BBI sought to build risks being widened and it will take a lot of effort to bring people together.”
“In my position, I would even encourage other House committees to look at the document. Even as we come up with next year’s budget, the same should be informed by the document,” the CIOC chair added.
Edited by R.Wamochie
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