Speaker Wetangula directs joint vetting of DG for Health Nominee

National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetangula. [Elvis Ogina, Standard]

The Speaker of the National Assembly Moses Wetangula has directed that the vetting of the nominee proposed for appointment as Director-General for Health will be conducted by the Departmental Committee on Health of the National Assembly, sitting jointly with the Committee of the Senate. 

In his communication to the House, Moses Wetang’ula notified the Parliament that Cabinet Secretary (CS) Health Susan Nakhumicha had nominated Dr Patrick Amoth for the position.

“The Cabinet Secretary therefore seeks the approval of Parliament on the said nomination,” the Speaker said.

“Honourable Members, you may wish to note that the approval of appointment of a Director-General of Health is among one of the exceptions where the applicable law prescribes approval by the two Houses of Parliament,” he added.

Wetangula clarified that the quorum for the joint sittings of the committees will be the respective quorums of each committee as stipulated in the Standing Orders of the respective Houses.

As contemplated under Rule 9(6) of the Joint Rules, unless a decision is reached by consensus, any vote taken in the joint sittings of the committees shall be by separate Houses.

“This will ensure that the numerical difference of the individual members representing the Houses in the joint sittings has no effect on the decisions of the joint sittings of the committees,” added the speaker.

He explained that the joint committees shall, having concluded the approval hearings, submit a joint report to the respective Houses in the manner contemplated by Paragraph 7 of Joint Rule No. 9. The approval process shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act, 2011.

Although the Health Act does not provide specific timelines within which the House is to consider the nominee, the Speaker disclosed that Section 8(1) of the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act, 2011 requires the relevant House to undertake the exercise within twenty-eight (28) days.

"Conscious of the fact that the House is scheduled to proceed for recess this week, I hasten to clarify that the counting of days with respect to the consideration of the nominee will cease during the recess period and resume when the House first sits upon resumption,” he disclosed.

“Therefore, the Departmental Committee on Health shall submit their joint report on or before Tuesday, 13th August 2024 to enable the House to consider the proposed appointment,” the Speaker affirmed.

The committees are expected to jointly commence the approval process forthwith, notify the nominee and the general public of the time and place for holding the approval hearings, and upon conclusion, table their report within statutory timelines.

Amoth had applied for the position, having served as Acting DG for four years.