A standoff is brewing in the executive over the appointment of nominees to the Public Service Commission (PSC).
Prime Minister Raila Odinga has written to the joint committees vetting the nominees indicating he was not consulted in the appointments.
This latest move has seen the delay in the tabling of the committees report to parliament for debate and approval.
The chair of the labor and social welfare committee Pollyns Ochieng requested the speaker for more time to allow the committees address the issue with both principals.
The other committee that has been involved in the vetting process is the committee on administration and national security.
The joint committees embarked on the vetting the nominees on the 24th Dec in a bid to beat the 27th Dec deadline provided by the national assembly speaker Kenneth Marende to conclude the exercise.
Those nominated by the President to the Public service commission are Prof Margaret Kobia proposed as the chairperson, former PS Peter Ole Nkuraiya for deputy, other members were former national assembly clerk Patrick Gichohi, PS Public service Titus Ndambuki, Michael Lokuruka, Lawrence Nyalle, Veronica Chemutai Birgen, Catherine Omweno and Judith Emboyi Bwonya.
The committees were granted a week by the speaker to address the stalemate and furnish parliament with its report.
The committee had however asked for two weeks but the speaker was of the opinion that the matter may be overtaken by events since parliament stands dissolved on the 14th January 2013.
Sabotage land reforms
Meanwhile, the government has been accused of delaying reforms in the land sector by failing to gazette the land commission.
Gichugu MP Martha Karua claimed of a plot in the government to sabotage land reforms attributing this to the delay in the gazzetment of the land commission.
Speaking in parliament Thursday afternoon, Karua claimed that the government has continuously delayed to issue a ministerial statement she requested on the 11th Dec seeking to find out why the executive is yet to gazette the land commission.
She said the land issue is very emotive and a sensitive matter alleging that there are people in the government who may want to derail reforms.
Leader of government business Kalonzo Musyoka undertook to pursue the matter to ensure it is prioritized once parliament resumes in the New Year. Meanwhile the government today moved to borrow shs56. 7 billion from the exchequer to enable it sustain government operations and complete ongoing projects.
ย Finance minister Njeru Githae is seeking parliament’s approval through the supplementary estimates to enable operations of the government continue. It is a tradition that the government seeks additional funds before the end of a financial year owing to increased expenditure emerging and which was not factored in the budget.
The government in September had to incur extra recurrent expenses occasioned by salary and allowances increase for teachers and lecturers following protracted negotiations.
Source:KBC
