Nairobi, KENYA: The majority leader in the National Assembly Aden Duale has warned independent state commissions that do not submit their reports to parliament that their funds will be curtailed.
Speaking during the launch of Ombudsman 2019-2023 strategic plan, Duale insisted that it will be improper for parliament to recommend the release of funds to those commissions whose performance has not been scrutinized by the House.
“You do quarterly report to parliament if you don’t report we will not allocate you funds,” Duale insisted.
He said that the performance of the independent commissions should be sound so that they are given funds following the fact that the commissions are using public funds obliging their custodians to be accountable to the public.
He blasted state officials who work for independent commissions and attend rallies at the same time saying that such tendency flouts the constitution.
“Chapter 15 of the constitution says that you should be independent, but that independence is eroded, if you attend a rally, Chief Justice, Speaker, President, Commissions please be independent as per the constitution,” Duale said.
He also urged the commission to address the pending bills hitting counties which have rendered members of public broke and their properties auctioned.
On the other hand, the speaker of the National Assembly Justin Muturi said that there is need for the government to properly constitute independent commissions to make sure they undertake their constitutional mandate effectively.
He warned that institutions that are improperly constituted mess up in rendering of services which lead to poor governance.
Muturi urged the Ombudsman to follow stipulated channels to permit the House to chip in and propel an increase of allocation of funds to the commission to help it move into the counties and fight for Wananchi.
Commission of Administrative Justice’s Florence Kajuju earlier urged the House to increase the allocation of funds to her commission to allow her officers to deliver their mandate effectively to Wananchi.
The strategic plan will help the commission leverage its performance in the future.
