NAIROBI, Kenya, Nov 1 – Narok West Member of Parliament Gabriel Tongoyo has been elected as the Chairperson of the National Assembly committee on Administration and Security.
In the inaugural sitting, no elections were conducted as the committee members unanimously chose Tongoyo to lead the body.
He will be deputised by Saku MP Dido Rasso while discharging the mandate of the committee deemed critical in overseeing activities of security.
The election comes days after the Kenya Kwanza Alliance held a parliamentary group meeting chaired by President William Ruto to reach an agreement on the leadership of the committees.
Tongoyo pledged to work efficiently in handling issues of security in the country which is a critical sector in the nation.
“Our first mandate is to vet Inspector General Nominee Japhet Koome in a joint sitting with the Senate committee as well as look into coordination in the Ministry of Interior with other ministries, “said Tongoyo.
Last week, lawmakers were appointed to the departmental and select committee in the house by the select committee chaired by Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wa.
Ichung’wa while moving the motion mentioned that they fell short in ensuring that they accommodate MPs in the committees which they had shown interest to sit.
“This is one of the most divisive exercise in Parliament because its always not possible to please everyone in the house,” he stated.
“For example, in the Transport committee we had 79 members who sought to be considered in the majority side yet we had only 8 slots for them. Minority had 79 members and we had only 7 slots for them,” Ichung’wa added.
Minority Leader Opiyo Wandayi while supporting the motion termed the appointment of lawmakers to committees as a hectic process given the huge interest by MPs to sit in the Roads and Transport committee and the one on Budget and Appropriation.
“The demand for certain committees was enormous and we might need to ventilate on this matter. What is it in the Transport and Budget committee? This is a discussion we need to have so that next time we don’t have a commotion,” said Wandayi.
