NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 16 – Fifteen Central Kenya Members of the National Assembly now want President Uhuru Kenyatta to submit a new nominee for the position of Secretary to the Cabinet after they rejected Monica Juma whom they say is not best suited.
Led by Dagoretti MP Denis Waweru, the lawmakers dismissed the notion that they had rebelled against President Kenyatta, saying they were not apologetic for their decision as Parliament was not there to simply rubber-stamp the decision of the Executive, but had a mind of its own.
“When Parliament makes a decision, that is the end of it and we must stick with that decision; we are not apologetic about this,” declared Waweru.
Kandara MP Alice Wahome a member of the Administration and National Security Committee launched an onslaught against Juma accusing her of ‘arrogance’ and failing at being a team player.
“We agonised over whether to give her the job but we decided academic qualifications notwithstanding, Juma was not fit for an appointment in a public office because she is not able to build collaborations and is not a team worker,” she said.
Taking a different approach from other legislators who have time and again continued to lament over the letter written by Juma asking the Clerks of the National Assembly and the Senate to warn MPs against ‘seeking favours’ from her office, Wahome accused Juma of talking ‘big’ yet she had failed to utilise money allocated to her yet there were pending responsibilities needing funds.
“You will be surprised to know that the operations wing of the Policing Services which is under her returned Sh2 billion to Treasury yet we don’t have equipment, we don’t have police vehicles and there is inadequate housing for police officers,” added Wahome.
In what will raise eyebrows over why MPs now seem to have valid reasons to reject Juma’s nomination, the Jubilee MPs raised integrity questions and dragged her spouse in the fiasco.
Wahome claimed Juma had influenced the awarding of a Sh6 billion police insurance cover tender to a company affiliated with her husband and denying another worthy competitor who was providing better service.
“The tender was awarded to a company where the husband is a director. She cannot fool the world, this is telling about her character,” she added.
The legislators’ sentiments come at a time when there is public outcry over the rejection of Juma who was seen to have been a victim of circumstances after she failed to play to the tune of certain MPs.
Following the rejection, President Kenyatta expressed his disappointment in the National Assembly saying they had rejected a public officer whom he acknowledged as being highly qualified and competent, and who represented professionalism and dedication to service.
If the president decides to re-nominate Juma for the position, it has to come after six months as per the law.
The MPs are at the same time demanding a meeting within seven days with the Interior Cabinet Secretary Joseph Nkaissery, and NACADA on why a presidential directive to nab all drug peddlers was ignored.
They want stern action against drug peddlers and the brewers of illicit alcohol wreaking havoc in the region.
Among the MPs who addressed journalists are Alice Ng’ang’a (Thika), Florence Kajuju (Meru), Priscilla Nyokabi (Nyeri), Francis Waititu (Juja), and Mary Mbugua, the Nakuru Women Representative.
The others were not present but signed the statement.
