PARLIAMENT PETITIONED OVER KACC
Kanini Evans Kariuki
September 15, 2009
THE Inter-Party Youth Leagues (IPYL), and the umbrella of students organization (USO), has petitioned Parliament to either strengthen the Kenya Anti-Corruption Commission (KACC) to enable it discharge its duties effectively, or disband it altogether if it cannot measure up to expectations.
In a press statement, the IPYL officials who were led by Isaac Wanyonyi and the USO officials who were led by Shigoli Victor, stressed that the matter required urgent addressing for the good of the country.
Wanyonyi and Shigoli issued the statement after a marathon meeting attended by about 100 people at the Hotel Boulevard in Nairobi.
"If we Kenyans think that KACC has failed because of the judicial bottlenecks, then we urge parliament to move fast and disband the institution that is KACC and come up with a properly constituted body that has teeth to bite", said the two officials.
Parliament has the prerogative to dissolve KACC, whilst the president has the powers to appoint, so we urge parliament to move fast and disband KACC instead of witch hunting retired judge Aron Ringera, his assistants Smokin Wanjala and Fatuma Sichale and other staff who have made it different for the corrupt to influence them to drop investigations against them, Wanyonyi and Shigoli pointed out.
"It is with profound shock and utter consternation that we learn of the unbecoming behavior of the 10th parliament. Without fear of contradiction, we can say it has become a prisoner of mob lynching", they further charged.
The officials stated that it was known to all and sundry that the KACC office holders were people of unquestionable integrity, and their efficiency was beyond reproach.
However, Wanyonyi and Shigoli regretted, the problem is that the KACC officials do not have powers vested to prosecute, a shortcoming of parliament in its formulation of legislations.
This is a case of shifting blame and turning a blind eye on reality. Our leaders have a tendency of running away from problems using short routes instead of facing reality, Wanyonyi and Shigoli asserted.
They added:
"At this point, we beg to ask this mind-bogging question, ´is it easy for one to hold such a lucrative and tempting position without falling victim of the temptations and pitfalls that comes with it? So which angel are we seeking to replace them with yet they have been tried, tested and trusted?"
Parliament, the officials added, has in some instances, misled Kenyans because of ignorance and lack of information among "our dear brothers and sisters".
"Today we seek to end this practice and make facts known so that we handle issues head on", they continued.
In this country, Wanyonyi and Shigoli further charged, the foot soldiers never sit on table with the king when the meal is ready; instead, they enjoy the meal with strangers.
"We the youths have actively participated in campaigns and other events that assist politicians to chart their course, the most annoying part is that when they get positions, they forget about us and instead appoint their cronies and relatives. Had the president accorded them, this chance, they would be quiet as happened in the case when they increased their salaries. We Kenyans are now asking, which war are our parliamentarians fighting and whom are they fighting?" the officials asked.
Informed Kenyans,Wanyonyi and Shigoli further asserted, had been left wondering whether critics of KACC understand its mandate, or whether they were pursuing their own sectarian interests.
"We call upon any minister who had not exercised his discretional powers to serve his/her own interest or those of their own cronies to cast the first stone. In equal strength and breath, we ask any MP who has not used CDF and other devolved funds to reward his/her political operatives, relatives and other associates to cast the next stone. Let the parliamentary service commission hold a seminar to educate the parliamentarians on the mandate of KACC and at the same time, address the constitutional discrepancy that gives the president the mandate to exercise his powers in matters relating to the appointment and re-appointment of the KACC directors", the officials suggested.
The country, Wanyonyi and Shigoli lamented, was now facing serious problems ranging from constitution-making to food crises, justice for victims of post-election violence, energy and water crisis.
"We therefore, ask our legislators to use the time they have extended their sittings in parliament to effectively address the above problems, instead of turning their focus and that of the nation on these KACC individuals who have not committed any crime", the officials said.
If parliament does not adhere to this clarion call from the day that is today, then we have no option but to initiate unspecified action against it, Wanyonyi and Shigoli concluded.
In a press statement, the IPYL officials who were led by Isaac Wanyonyi and the USO officials who were led by Shigoli Victor, stressed that the matter required urgent addressing for the good of the country.
Wanyonyi and Shigoli issued the statement after a marathon meeting attended by about 100 people at the Hotel Boulevard in Nairobi.
"If we Kenyans think that KACC has failed because of the judicial bottlenecks, then we urge parliament to move fast and disband the institution that is KACC and come up with a properly constituted body that has teeth to bite", said the two officials.
Parliament has the prerogative to dissolve KACC, whilst the president has the powers to appoint, so we urge parliament to move fast and disband KACC instead of witch hunting retired judge Aron Ringera, his assistants Smokin Wanjala and Fatuma Sichale and other staff who have made it different for the corrupt to influence them to drop investigations against them, Wanyonyi and Shigoli pointed out.
"It is with profound shock and utter consternation that we learn of the unbecoming behavior of the 10th parliament. Without fear of contradiction, we can say it has become a prisoner of mob lynching", they further charged.
The officials stated that it was known to all and sundry that the KACC office holders were people of unquestionable integrity, and their efficiency was beyond reproach.
However, Wanyonyi and Shigoli regretted, the problem is that the KACC officials do not have powers vested to prosecute, a shortcoming of parliament in its formulation of legislations.
This is a case of shifting blame and turning a blind eye on reality. Our leaders have a tendency of running away from problems using short routes instead of facing reality, Wanyonyi and Shigoli asserted.
They added:
"At this point, we beg to ask this mind-bogging question, ´is it easy for one to hold such a lucrative and tempting position without falling victim of the temptations and pitfalls that comes with it? So which angel are we seeking to replace them with yet they have been tried, tested and trusted?"
Parliament, the officials added, has in some instances, misled Kenyans because of ignorance and lack of information among "our dear brothers and sisters".
"Today we seek to end this practice and make facts known so that we handle issues head on", they continued.
In this country, Wanyonyi and Shigoli further charged, the foot soldiers never sit on table with the king when the meal is ready; instead, they enjoy the meal with strangers.
"We the youths have actively participated in campaigns and other events that assist politicians to chart their course, the most annoying part is that when they get positions, they forget about us and instead appoint their cronies and relatives. Had the president accorded them, this chance, they would be quiet as happened in the case when they increased their salaries. We Kenyans are now asking, which war are our parliamentarians fighting and whom are they fighting?" the officials asked.
Informed Kenyans,Wanyonyi and Shigoli further asserted, had been left wondering whether critics of KACC understand its mandate, or whether they were pursuing their own sectarian interests.
"We call upon any minister who had not exercised his discretional powers to serve his/her own interest or those of their own cronies to cast the first stone. In equal strength and breath, we ask any MP who has not used CDF and other devolved funds to reward his/her political operatives, relatives and other associates to cast the next stone. Let the parliamentary service commission hold a seminar to educate the parliamentarians on the mandate of KACC and at the same time, address the constitutional discrepancy that gives the president the mandate to exercise his powers in matters relating to the appointment and re-appointment of the KACC directors", the officials suggested.
The country, Wanyonyi and Shigoli lamented, was now facing serious problems ranging from constitution-making to food crises, justice for victims of post-election violence, energy and water crisis.
"We therefore, ask our legislators to use the time they have extended their sittings in parliament to effectively address the above problems, instead of turning their focus and that of the nation on these KACC individuals who have not committed any crime", the officials said.
If parliament does not adhere to this clarion call from the day that is today, then we have no option but to initiate unspecified action against it, Wanyonyi and Shigoli concluded.
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