By: Eric Wanjala
Three state owned institutions including Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC), National Construction Authority and National Drought Authority were yesterday turned back by the National Assembly committee on national cohesion and equal opportunity, v. 1q for presenting documents that had no signatures from the accounting officers who are CEOs.
According to the committee Chair Hajji Yusuf MP for Mandera East the documents were not authentic due to parliamentary procedure that requires document ownership through signatures from the executive officer of an institution.
” Parliament requires that documents tabled Infront of a committee must be signed ,since the house is a house of records and integrity we therefore require the accounting officer to own the document tabled here, due the fact that the committee has the powers on issuing a ruling same to a Judiciary court” Stated Hon Hajji.
Among the issues the committee were interrogating is on equality in matters of employment especially Youth, women and people living with disabilities (PWDs), Ethnicity distribution on government space and Procuring of tenders for the specialized group.
Nyeri Town Member of Parliament Duncan Mathege disputed claims that only two tribes are the ones who have benefited from the National Share on employment and tenders by quoting the National Cohesion Act 2012 that says no organization in the country can have more 30% share give to one ethnic community.
“The Issue that the Kenya Kwanza Government has only offered job opportunities to one or two communities is hot air and I would refer my friends from opposition putting allegations to go to court of law or have a session with the National integration commission or amend the current laws on National cohesion which can be done at the National Assembly where the opposition are still members” Said Hon Mathenge MP Nyeri Town.
However the procurement Laws calls for Women Youth and People living disability to be given 30% of tender issuance, a matter which according to head of KPLC most people in the said group don’t apply since the requirements call for intense engineering skills. And on Employment most ethnic groups especially with the least number of representations don’t apply for position a matter that has pushed for sensitization especially to the marginalized groups
Kajiado North MP Onesmus Ngogoyo requested the Kenya power CEO who appeared at the committee to table the list of KPLC employees which has sparkled alot of questions from the public and workers whom have been working as causal workers for more than 6 years.