Duale, Nyamweya differ over competence of PAC chairman

By ALPHONCE SHIUNDU

Speaker Justin Muturi intervened to stop a heated argument between Majority Leader Aden Duale and an MP over the competence of the chairman and members of the watchdog Public Accounts Committee.

Mr Duale invited the wrath of Manson Nyamweya (South Mugirango) when he said the committee had failed to keep Government spending in check.

The Majority Leader took issue with the absence of PAC chairman Ababu Namwamba (Budalang’i) from the House at a time when MPs were expected to debate the PAC report on Government accounts for the financial year 2008-2009.

Duale complained that the key watchdog committee headed by the opposition had let the National Assembly down because it was three financial years late in dealing with issues that the Auditor General had raised regarding Government accounts.

“The Public Accounts Committee has failed. We’re dealing with the report on the accounts of 2008-2009,” said Duale as he pointed out that “we are in the 2013-2014 financial year”.

But Nyamweya cut Duale short and told him that he could not blame the Public Accounts Committee for the delay in debating the committee’s report on the accounts of 2008-2009 and 2009-2010.

Nyamweya told Duale that he sits on the House Business Committee where decisions are made on what business MPs will discuss during House plenary sessions.

Nyamweya said Duale had the clout to decide what business to fast-track and what business to delay.

“If there’s anyone who is not helping, it is the Leader of Majority,” said an angry Nyamweya.

It is at this point that Muturi stepped in and told Duale to stop the back and forth.

“It will look very untidy in our records that the Majority Leader rose to speak on a Bill and began discussing a committee,” said Muturi.

House rules require that if any MP wants to discuss a member of a committee, they must file a substantive Motion.