NAIROBI: The chairman of the Public Accounts Committee Ababu Namwamba has written to the Speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi seeking to be excused from "all parliamentary business" until the anti-graft body concludes investigations into the PAC.
In the letter, Namwamba wants to be excused from attending House sittings. The MP who also sits in the House Committee on Administration and National Security, also said he needs to be excused from attending the meetings of that committee.
In the letter copied to the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Namwamba said he is willing to face the commission to clear his name.
"I seek your permission to be excused from all parliamentary duties pending conclusion of the said probe. I do this well aware that I have not been named as an individual. But I consider the probe of all PAC members to be a probe into the integrity of all the twenty six of us," said Namwamba.
The MP had to write because if he misses eight House sittings without the permission of the Speaker, his seat will be declared vacant. If he misses four sittings of a committee, then he will be kicked out of the committee.
The committee is being investigated with regard to the Sh1.5 million bribe claim that was allegedly paid to some of the MPs and shared among six MPs by the Defence PS Mutea Iringo.
He also wants the Speaker to look the other way whenever there are other parliamentary duties that he has to attend, such as meetings in the Budget and Appropriations Committee, and in the Liaison Committee where all chairpersons of committees sit.
Namwamba was ecstatic that it is the allegations within the PAC that "triggered" the war on corruption within government and the President's list of shame that was submitted to the House.
"I have no doubt that in the fullness of time the truth will be established. Only this will cleanse this crucial oversight committee and set it free to execute its critical mandate," said Namwamba.
The plea for excusal came on the day that a report of the House Committee on Privileges indicted Namwamba for failing to back up the allegations of corruption, and barred him from sitting in PAC for the remainder of the current session.
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