Kenya: MPs get chance to freeze KACC funds

Lawmakers will now have a chance to freeze Sh694 million due to the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission as a sign of showing their displeasure with the reappointment of Justice Aaron Ringera at the helm of the body.


This is after the Executive dangled both the carrot and the stick before the MPs when it listed the Appropriations Bill in Thursdays parliamentary agenda. That was the carrot.

But then, it shelved the adjournment Motion, instead packing the Order Paper with five more Bills in their second reading. That was the stick.

The move by the Executive-controlled House Business Committee to deny MPs the recess comes a day after the government lost in its bid to have the House take a two-month break.

Fifty-nine MPs voted against the adjournment Motion to defeat 36 of their government colleagues who were pushing for the recess.

Finance Minister Uhuru Kenyatta will table the Appropriations Bill before the House on Thursday afternoon. The Appropriations Bill gives authority to the government to withdraw money from the Consolidated Fund to run its activities.

The chair of the House Committee on Administration of Justice and Legal Affairs, Mr Abdikadir Mohammed, has moved an amendment to delete Vote 34 from the Bill, in effect denying KACC money for its activities.

Parliament had already authorised the anti-corruption watchdog to withdraw half the amount in June, but the remaining amount will remain frozen until President Kibaki rescinds Mr Ringeras appointment or Mr Ringera steps down.

The debate will be a carryover of accusations levelled against Mr Ringera –as witnessed in the last two days– as MPs take the war to the Executives doorstep.

But not all MPs will be pleased with the Order Paper, especially the Maasai leaders among them Cabinet minister William ole Ntimama, MPs Nkoidila Ole Lankas (Narok South ODM) and Gideon Konchella (Kilgoris, PNU).

The three had opposed the adjournment Motion until debate on a government taskforce report on the Mau was debated and disposed of.

The Mau report has been pending in after House Speaker Kenneth Marende said that debate on it could jeopardise the proceedings of a court case.

The five Bills up for debate in the House today are: Proceeds of Crime and Anti-Money Laundering Bill, the Competition Bill, the Chiefs (Amendment) Bill, Price Control (Essential Goods) Bill and the Finance Bill.

MPs will now have to wait until next Tuesday for the adjournment, if the House Business Committee makes an attempt to salvage the House Calendar that is already two weeks behind schedule. Or perhaps the HBC could change and bring the adjournment motion in a supplementary Order Paper later in the day.

Daily Nation

Post published in: Uncategorized

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *