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{
    "id": 813902,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/813902/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 189,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Sen. Mwaura",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 13129,
        "legal_name": "Isaac Maigua Mwaura",
        "slug": "isaac-mwaura"
    },
    "content": "Mr. Deputy Speaker, Sir, I am not anticipating debate because this issue is before the National Assembly. I am giving my personal opinion as a Senator. The appointing authority should withdraw the nomination of one Mr. Ben Chumo by virtue of being arrested and the pending matter before the court about his past role as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Kenya Power. There are also issues to do with procurement of faulty transformers. When we established the independent offices and constitutional commissions under Chapter 15 of the Constitution, we anticipated some kind of a fourth arm of Government which will provide oversight to the other three arms and that members who would serve in those positions would be of character beyond Caesar’s wife. When a person is appointed as a commissioner or a chair of a constitutional commission, they must be confident so that people do not cast any doubts or aspersions on their integrity. So, this is not a matter to debate about. However, we need to ensure that we bring back the gusto of constitutional commissions because most of them look like appendages of the Executive. I was surprised to see in Executive Order No. 1 of 2018, some of them are listed as subservient to the various Ministries. There is a difference between a statutory body and constitutional commissions. This is an issue that as Senate, we may want to pronounce ourselves on, going forward. These commissions are well funded. In fact, the salaries of the members of the secretariat who serve there are some of the best within the public service but the output of these commissions remains to be seen. Of particular concern for me is the fact that we have the provision of Article 59 of the Constitution that creates the Kenya National Human Rights and Equality Commission (KNHREC) which is divided into three; the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), the Commission on Administrative Justice (CAJ) and the National Gender and Equality Commission (NGEC). As country, we should not be bogged down by the fact that we must give jobs to Kenyans. We should merge these commissions so that we can have value. The former KNCHR under leaders such as Maina Kiai, Prof. Florence Jaoko Simbili and the former Sen. Hassan Omar, did a commendable job. The electronic version of the Senate Hansard Report is for information purposes only. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor, Senate."
}