- Omogeni said that the clamour by Generation Z to have parliament dissolved is in part a response to the dismissal performance of both houses of Parliament.
- The MP said that vetting should never be mechanical and cosmetic but a deep introspection into the character and competence of a candidate.
Image: FILE
Nymaira Senator Okong'o Omogeni now says MPs have a golden opportunity to redeem the image of the National Assembly when they vet Cabinet Secretary nominees.
The House will hold approval hearings for President William Ruto's nominees to the Cabinet between August 1 and 4.
In a statement, Omogeni challenged MPs to rise above partisanship and conduct thorough and impartial hearings to give Kenyans competent CSs.
The Senior Counsel said Article 152 of the Constitution of Kenya introduced a parliamentary confirmation process as a check and balance on the exercise of presidential powers.
"The framers of our Constitution intended our parliament to be the peoples’ shield against incompetent, unfit, corrupt or inept appointees,'' Omogeni said.
Omogeni said the concept was largely borrowed from the United States of America where the Constitution has conferred such powers to the Senate as a critical aspect in checking abuse of power by a sitting president.
"Used well, it can nurture a good balance of power between the executive and legislature and enhance transparency and accountability," Omogeni said.
"Abused, it can make a mockery of the whole process especially where parliament converts itself into a rubberstamp of the executive."
The senator said in Kenya political dynamics and power play have influenced the process in parliament with most nominees enjoying state backing easily sailing through.
"The last vetting process was viewed (and I say this with tremendous respect) as a debacle and theatre of the absurd with some Cabinet Secretaries of questionable integrity, uninspiring performance during questioning, questionable academic credentials and scandals sailing through,"mOmogeni said.
He said that ethical concerns and public interest were never a factor.
"Literally, in the exercise, National Assembly was merely ticking the boxes and biding for the Executive,'' the MP said.
He said that the clamour by Generation Z to have parliament dissolved is in part a response to the dismissal performance of both houses of Parliament.
"The forthcoming vetting process is thus a golden opportunity for parliament to redeem itself and restore public confidence in its image as an institution and exorcise if at all the demons of June 25, 2024 invasion of parliament," Omogeni said.
Omogeni said that the president’s action of returning the Finance Bill, 2024 is a testament that when the public mood is not in support of certain actions then he will bow to that pressure.
He will cave in, the senator said, without caring about the “voting machine for the executive, namely parliament”.
"The Parliament of Kenya needs to wake up and smell the strong aroma of the coffee aka public mood – it is inescapable," he said.
The MP said that vetting should never be mechanical and cosmetic but a deep introspection on the character and competence of a candidate including whether the views a candidate holds or has held before are compatible and consistent with the office a candidate intends to hold.
"Therefore, the National Assembly should know that the phenomenon of merely rubberstamping presidential nominees for various Cabinet and other positions where parliamentary vetting is obligatory has been the norm and undermines the constitutional aspirations of good governance and integrity in public service," he said.
According to Omogeni, vetting should never be about a member of parliament’s unyielding appetite to demonstrate loyalty and showcase his or her affiliation to a political party.
Rather, he said, it should be an affirmation of the imperatives of Chapter Six of the Constitution on picking leaders based on integrity, competence and a nod of dispatch for them to offer dedicated selfless service to the Nation Kenya.
"In Kenya, the authority assigned to a State officer is premised on public trust to serve the people and not to obnoxiously enrich oneself. One should never ascend to State Office, by whatever means but through a demonstration of unwavering commitment to good governance, transparency and accountability," he said.