Cabinet nominee interviews ‘failed to impress’
What you need to know:
- Four candidates appear before team of MPs but analysts question quality of the vetting after boycott by Nasa leaders.
Legal experts and analysts have criticised the just-concluded vetting of nominees for Cabinet Secretary positions by the National Assembly.
They termed the vetting a coronation ceremony lacking of the vigour witnessed in previous processes.
NASA
Enthusiasm over the public interviews was dampened by Nasa’s refusal to participate in the vetting of the nine nominees.
The experts, led by Mr Nzamba Kitonga, who led the Committee of Experts that drafted the Constitution, argued that while previous vetting sessions involved meticulous background and fact checking and were of higher standards, the current process has become a rubber-stamping procedure for the Executive.
Party loyalties were at play throughout the interviews at County Hall, he said.
Prof Maurice Amutabi, a professor of history, said the standards in 2013 and earlier were high, intellectual and broad.
“It is surprising that in the current process, we had instances where the nominees, like Prof Margaret Kobia were probing the committee to ask them questions,” said Prof Amutabi.
Ms Martha Karua, a lawyer and former minister, cited the lack of interest from the public who have become apathetic to the process which she argued, could deny the vetting the much-needed credibility.
The nominations have also received criticism from the Federation of Women Lawyer (Fida) chairperson Josephine Mong’are who said they lacked the constitutional threshold required for gender and the disabled people.
