Committee On Communication, Information And Innovation Questions CS Owalo On Media Council Board Recruitment, Lamu Internet Connectivity Challenges
Cabinet Secretary Eliud Owalo with other ministry officials when they appeared in Parliament yesterday
By PSCU
Worth Noting:
- During the deliberations, the MPs questioned the Selection Panel’s decision to ignore the advisory of the OAG, and went ahead to recruit new members.
- CS Owalo told the Committee that the ministry sought the legal opinion of the Attorney General on the eligibility of employees of media houses, civil servants, and representatives of media associations to sit in the board, to which the office of the AG advised that it is illegal, and thus the ministry has no role in the selection panel’s decision to short-list the same people for the position in the Council’s Board.
Yesterday, the Departmental Committee on Communication, Information, and Innovation held a meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Information Communications and the Digital Economy Eliud Owalo.
The Committee, in a session chaired by Vice Chairperson Alfah Miruka Ondieki (Bomachoge Chache) recieved submissions from the Ministry, giving answers to questions asked by Ruweida Obbo (Lamu East) and Samwel Atandi (Alego Usonga)
Samwel Atandi (Alego Usonga) sought explanations on allegations of interference by the Ministry, and alleged conflict of interest in the recruitment of Board members of the Media Council of Kenya, as well as the credibility of the process. He also asked the measures put in place to address the loopholes in the Council’s operations, which for various years have always ended up in court cases.
“How are you handling the allegations of financial impropriety at the council, have you involved the office of the auditor general, now that the council is funded by the governmnet?” posed Atandi.
According to the Cabinet secretary, the Ministry’s role in the recruitment process ends at the selection of the panel, and providing secretariat and technical support to the selection panel.
During the deliberations, the MPs questioned the Selection Panel’s decision to ignore the advisory of the OAG, and went ahead to recruit new members.
CS Owalo told the Committee that the ministry sought the legal opinion of the Attorney General on the eligibility of employees of media houses, civil servants, and representatives of media associations to sit in the board, to which the office of the AG advised that it is illegal, and thus the ministry has no role in the selection panel’s decision to short-list the same people for the position in the Council’s Board.
Despite there being a high rating of thr vurrent Board’s performance, the Ministry deemed it fit not to renew the term of the board, and this is also a point of concern.
“There are maby vourt cases because people want to move in an run the media council, because of the avaialbke resources, including money from the exchequer. What is the Ministry goin to do to Ensure independence?
“At no point in time as a ministry have we interefered with that procesa. Our role is strictly o procidd technical support, which we have impartially done.”
Obbo questioned the state of internet connectivity in Lamu East which shw saya is still Using 2G network while the rest of the country is on 4G. She also sought to understand why some parts of her constituency have totally no internet connectivity; neither can they access cellular mobile phone networks.
CS Owalo in his response stated that the government is undertaking a three-phase upgrade of internet connectivity in 274 sub-locations across the country identified in the ICT Access Gap Study in 2021. The areas identified by Hon Obbo are parts of these areas undergoing the upgrade, with the third phase having kicked off.
Similar Posts by The Mt Kenya Times:
- Will President Mnangagwa sign Bill 3? The pen, the pressure and the future
- Historic Kamukunji grounds reborn as modern recreation park ahead of Saba Saba
- Kenya shifts focus to quality-based milk payments to boost dairy sector
- Othaya MP’s healthcare push transforms Mwai Kibaki Level 6 Hospital into regional medical hub
- Kangunu coffee farmers receive milk lorry as dairy venture boosts incomes
About the Author
