Legislators affiliated to Azimio-One Kenya Coalition have warned President William Ruto’s cabinet nominees with integrity concerns will be under strict scrutiny.
Through a statement, majority leader for Azimio in the National Assembly, Ugunja MP Opiyo Wandayi, noted that the proposed Cabinet “is essentially a line-up of who is who in the dark realm theft of public money” without naming any specific individuals.
“In an economy that is crying for revival, it is shocking that the UDA (United Democratic Alliance) administration has packed the proposed Cabinet with some men and women who should be in jail for engaging in economic crimes and sabotage of the country,” said Wandayi.
On Tuesday, Ruto unveiled his new Cabinet two weeks after he was sworn in as Kenya’s fifth Head of State.
Two of the people proposed have an active court cases; Aisha Jumwa and Mithiki Linturi.
Jumwa’s two-related lawsuits were rescheduled for August and September in April 2022.
She is accused of murder and is also involved in a Sh19 million fraud case.
She said that politics was behind the two cases.
Jumwa’s attorney, Danstan Omari, requested that the case be reopened when trial magistrate Edna Nyaloti was moved to Nakuru law court.
Mombasa Chief Magistrate Martha Mutuku is currently in charge of the case. She granted the request to reopen the case from August 15 until August 17.
On the other hand, Linturi is charged with making an unlawful and premeditated attempt to rape a 36-year-old lady on January 30, 2021 at around 3am at the Maiyan Villa’s hotel in Nanyuki.
Linturi asked a Nairobi court to terminate the case in which he is accused of attempted rape of a woman.
The President will now be required to formally notify the National Assembly clerk in writing of his candidates in accordance with the Public Appointments (Parliamentary Approval) Act, which will take 28 days from the date of notification.
The House Committee on Appointments, which is presided over by the Speaker of the House and includes the majority and minority party leaders as well as the majority and minority whips, will conduct the investigation.
The committee must hold approval hearings for the nominees and submit a report to the House within the prescribed 28 days recommending that the nominees be approved or rejected.
“At the conclusion of an approval hearing, the committee shall prepare its report on the suitability of the candidate to be appointed to the office to which the candidate has been nominated, and shall include in the report, such recommendations as the committee may consider necessary,” section 8 (2) of the Act reads.
