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Live blog: MPs vet Ruto's cabinet nominees

Live blog: MPs vet Ruto's cabinet nominees
Members of the National Assembly during a House session on July 24, 2024. (Photo: National Assembly)

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The four-day exercise sees both reappointed CSs and new faces appear before the National Assembly's Committee on Appointments, chaired by Speaker Moses Wetang'ula.

The vetting process for President William Ruto's Cabinet Secretary nominees enters Day 3 on Saturday.

The four-day exercise sees both reappointed CSs and new faces appear before the National Assembly's Committee on Appointments, chaired by Speaker Moses Wetang'ula.

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The Eastleigh Voice will give live updates of the process as MPs grill the cabinet nominees.

8:36 pm: The National Assembly Committee on Appointments concludes vetting the Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports CS nominee Kipchumba Murkomen.

8:33 pm: Murkomen declares his net worth stands at Sh620 million up from Sh550 million he declared in 2022. Denies he owns two choppers.

8:15 pm -Murkomen vows to look into mental health among the sportsmen and sportswomen that has taken a toll on many Kenyans.

8:02 pm- On the issue of opulence, Murkomen says he is a victim of a crossfire of a conversation. "I have never gloated about anything I wear, where I live or the car I drive."

7:33 pm -Murkomen pledges to ensure the ministry will structure the sports fund in such a way that he will deliver on infrastructure, ie completion of stadia.

7:26 pm- The CS nominee says he will ensure they follow through with the people travelling to international games to ensure there are no joyriders.

7:15 pm-Murkomen says he will make sure not to finance any sports federation that is not following the Sports Act and that does not conduct regular elections.

7:06 pm- Murkomen says he plans to ensure Kenya's stadia are world-class and address gender violence in the sports industry.

6:59 pm-Sports CS nominee explains the JKIA-Adani Group issue. He says the process is too complex to be done by one individual, insisting that he has not 'sold' the airport.

6:51 pm- The nominee says airing 60 per cent local content is achievable. "We need to support more local companies that will take local content, air them and pay our artists."

Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports CS nominee Kipchumba Murkomen. (X/NA)

6:48 pm- The nominee says there is a serious problem when it comes to sports management in the country. "It is not right that for the last 8 years, you have an organisation that has a leadership in office that has not been elected but they are there in perpetuity."

6:40 pm- Murkomen says he has passion for young people and looks forward to addressing problems bedelving the youth such as unemployment if if approved by the Parliament.

6:31 pm- Murkomen explains his successes in the previous transport docket, and says no accusation of integrity was raised during his tenure.

"My greatest success in the Ministry of Roads and Transport is leadership. The second success was leading for 2 years with integrity and honour, no accusation was levelled against me on matters of integrity."

6:18 pm- The National Assembly Committee on Appointments begins vetting the Youth Affairs, Creative Economy and Sports CS nominee Kipchumba Murkomen.

6:00 pm- The National Assembly Committee on Appointments concludes vetting of the Energy Cabinet Secretary nominee Opiyo Wandayi.

Energy and Petroleum Cabinet Secretary nominee Opiyo Wandayi. (X/NA)

5:56 pm- Wandayi states his net worth stands at Sh530 million, mostly made up of cash and interest from real estate.

5: 35pm- If approved, Wandayi pledges to push LPG uptake from 40 per cent to 100 per cent by 2028. "We will work closely with all players to make it possible for all Kenyans to access clean energy."

5:25 pm- On carbon emission, Wandayi says he will need to strike a balance between the energy needs of the country and environmental protection.

5: 15 pm- He says KPLC needs urgent business process re-engineering to look at the totality of the architecture of the management of Kenya Power processes and functions.

5:09 pm- Wandayi says ODM did not take advantage of the Gen Z protests when he was nominated to Cabinet. He adds the youth were raising pertinent issues.

"I still maintain the view that we are not in any way in betrayal of the youth. We are basically coming on board in a paradigm shift. We are living in different times."

4:48 pm- Wandayi pledges to fast-track the development of transmission lines to ensure there are no persistent blackouts that have plagued the country.

"In Western Kenya, I will ensure that the Turkwel -Ortum- Kitale line is completed and commissioned in the shortest time possible."

4:40 pm- The Energy CS nominee vows to enquire more on faulty metres and transformers by Kenya Power. Blames it on cartels during procurement.

4:45 pm- On the cost of power, Wandayi says Kenya is blessed to have geothermal resources that could help energy to be affordable but Independent Power Producers (IPPs) with licenses are not utilising the sites and therefore starving KenGen with has excess capacity to generate more power.

4:32 pm: Wandayi says he will be able to ‘bite the bullet’, fight cartels and ensure Kenyans get cheaper energy if approved by the Parliament.

4:20 pm: On corruption within the energy sector, Wandayi says his stand on corruption remains unchanged. "I have always fought against corruption."

4:10 pm: The nominee says apart from being the leader of the minority, he has also been a member of the Public Investment Committee, Energy and Commercial. "I come with the necessary competencies that are required to handle the docket (Energy and Petroleum)."

4:02 pm- The National Assembly Committee on Appointments begins vetting the Energy Cabinet Secretary nominee Opiyo Wandayi.

3:23 pm - The National Assembly Committee on Appointments concludes vetting the Tourism and Wildlife CS nominee Rebecca Miano.

3:20 pm - Tourism and Wildlife CS nominee Rebecca Miano says her net worth is Sh444 million, an increase of Sh47 million from the Sh397 million she had declared in 2022.

2:50 pm - Miano cites a recent report which showed Kenya was ranked as number one in the world in the use of social media and technology.

She says if we convert such abilities and rankings to market our country through tourism, the country will take the world by storm and attract more tourists.

2:40 pm - Miano says Kenya needs to diversify the origin of its guests. The Tourism CS nominee says the country needs to attract new markets like the Middle East and Japan to spur tourism.

"We must package our country as a product to be consumed and sold," she said.

2:00 pm - On the increase of entry fees for the world-renowned Maasai Mara Game Reserve, Miano says there were things that needed to be done to make it more competitive conceding that it has a lot of challenges including its numbers and servicing.

Tourism and Wildlife CS nominee Rebecca Miano takes her oath before the National Assembly Committee on Appointments on August 3, 2024. (Photo: National Assembly)

She said she met with Ministry officials and had a discussion with Narok County and revealed there was a tourism strategy formulated regarding the management of the reserve and had the participation of all stakeholders.

"One of the findings indicated that the rates for Maasai Mara had not been increased for the last 15 years despite the cost of managing the parks and many other costs," she said.

The nominee said the stakeholders did recommend that there should be a review of the rates applicable to raise enough finances.

1:42 pm - On Airbnbs, Miano says Kenya is lagging behind as a country and playing catch up.

"If I get approved, I will put strategies, and regulations that are required so that we tidy up that space," she said.

1:40 pm - Miano says the classification of hotels is a necessity and is also a requirement of EAC. She said if she is approved, she will undertake to conclude the work that is pending on classification which will enable Kenya's hotels to compete globally.

1:30 pm - The National Assembly Committee on Appointments begins vetting the Tourism and Wildlife CS nominee Rebecca Miano.

She is an advocate of the high court and holds a Masters in Law from the University of Salford, Manchester United Kingdom.

1:15 pm - The National Assembly Committee on Appointments concludes vetting the Investments, Trade and Industry CS nominee Salim Mvurya.

1:12 pm - Mvurya says his net worth is Sh158 million, an increase of Sh38 million from the last time he was vetted. In 2022, he indicated his net worth was Sh120 million.

1:00 pm - On concerns over his integrity during his tenure as Kwale County Governor, Mvurya says the allegations of misappropriations have not been brought to his attention.

He said he has not heard from any government institution alleging misappropriation of funds.

12:15 pm - Mvurya says all manufacturers should pay tax and says that once confirmed, he will use the institutions in the ministry to ensure they enforce compliance.

Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Investments, Trade & Industry, Hon. Salim Mvurya Mgala taking an Oath before the the National Assembly’s Committee on Appointments on August 3, 2024. (Photo: National Assembly)

11:45 am - Mvurya dismisses claims made by Pokot South MP David Pkosing that he is a "desk minister".

"I want to confirm that I am not a desk minister, we need to acknowledge that our country is very big, and you cannot be there at the right time, this ministry was fairly new and we had to put structures in place before we go out," Mvurya said.

11:34 am - Mvurya on the issue of illegal mining says each applicant for a mining licence has to attach an environmental restoration plan which they do as they report and exit.

11:20 am - Mvurya says when he assumed office in the Ministry of Mining, Blue Economy and Maritime Affairs, he provided leadership in carrying out key reforms to that ministry and cited licencing as the first reform he undertook.

11:12 am - National Assembly Deputy Speaker Gladys Boss puts to task Mvurya over his lack of information to the public over the achievements he has done in his previous docket citing investment in fluorspar in Elgeyo Marakwet County.

"Hon Mvurya, now it confirms what the President said that you had very poor communication because you have done great things but no Kenyan knows about it," she said.

"On the issue of communication, I must say we did our best to communicate through the media and other forms, however, going forward, it is a matter that we will be able to strengthen and ensure there is communication," Mvurya replied.

11:05 am - The National Assembly Committee on Appointments begins vetting the Investments, Trade and Industry CS nominee Salim Mvurya.

He holds a Master of Arts in Participation, Power and Social Change, Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex, United Kingdom and a Bachelors in Agribusiness Management from Egerton University.

10:46 am - The National Assembly Committee on Appointments concludes vetting the National Treasury CS Nominee John Mbadi.

10:43 am - The National Treasury nominee John Mbadi says his net worth is Sh380 million.

10:34 am - Mbadi says the country must be realistic in its revenue projection and also enhance revenue collection by reforming KRA because the government is still undercollecting.

10:20 am - On matters of pension, Mbadi says Kenyans who have worked and retired should be paid immediately after they retire from service.

He says the government needs to rework the pension system and ensure beneficiaries also can access their loved ones' pensions upon demise.

"It shouldn’t be hard to give back to service given to our nation," he says.

9:48 am - On reduced funding to counties against the backdrop of the withdrawal of the Finance Bill, 2024, Mbadi insisted the National Treasury is supposed to protect Counties and he will adhere to it accordingly.

"We will kill counties if we kill devolution. Our tax system isn’t simple to Kenyans. We need to simplify tax laws because how are we expecting people to pay for things they don’t really understand? Moving forward, pending bills shouldn’t even be a discussion. I have a constitutional mandate to do what is provided for by the PFM Act, you will not be an accounting Officer in the Republic of Kenya. Pending Bills must be cleared," he says.

9:35 am - On the issue of revenue-raising measures he would use if confirmed as the next Treasury boss, Mbadi said he shall adopt the public-private partnership in a clear way and with proper legal frameworks in both big and small projects to reduce pressure on the exchequer.

"In terms of maintaining the road sector, boosting agriculture, the energy sector, and most other sectors to help reduce the gaps in financing," he says.

9:30 am - On the critical issue of debt, Mbadi says the country is over-borrowing domestically which is unsustainable.

"My focus is to have commercial debts at no more than 5 per cent of our external debt portfolio and have 75 per cent of our debt under multilateral debt and 20 per cent on bilateral debt. With that, you can reduce the cost of debt," he says.

National Treasury nominee John Mbadi when he appeared before the National Assembly's Committee of Appointments on August 3, 2024. (Photo: National Assembly)

9:15 am - Mbadi defends his “skunk” remark he had directed at President William Ruto's initial Cabinet line-up.

"Up to now, I am a Member of the National Assembly. I have to vet and approve the President's appointees. I am moving to the other side of the executive, I will not have the mandate anymore. It is now the duty of Samburu West MP Naisula Lesuuda and others to determine whether John Mbadi is a skunk or not," he says.

9:00 am - Mbadi says he does not think coming up with new taxes is the solution to revenue mobilisation. He says the solution should be targeting the tax collector.

"KRA is like a cow which we milk without feeding. The system KRA is using at the moment needs engineering," he says.

8:55 am - The Treasury CS nominee says the philosophy of his party ODM and UDA are similar and that the two parties are social democrats.

"I've been asked about the Bottom-Up Economic Transformational Agenda which is associated with Kenya Kwanza. If you look at the philosophy of UDA and ODM there is no difference, everything is the same. There is a constitution that will guide me on that," he says.

8:50 am - Mbadi says Kenya's public debt levels are worrying. "Debt accountability is a priority. Kenyans should know that it’s not the government that owes the Chinese government, World Bank or IMF, it's them," he says.

8:40 am - On his qualifications for his potential role as the next Finance CS, Mbadi says he was an assistant minister in the office of the Prime minister and his responsibility was to supervise and coordinate government functions in all ministries which is very much in line with Treasury.

8:30 am - Mbadi says his first priority should he be confirmed as Treasury CS is debt accountability. "If Kenyans owe people money, why can't they know who they owe, how much and what is the level of interest for each loan

8:20 am - The National Treasury nominee says he will make Kenya's debt register public once he assumes office.

8:11 am - National Treasury CS Nominee John Mbadi takes oath and hands over documents to the clerk.

National Treasury nominee John Mbadi when he appeared before the National Assembly's Committee of Appointments on August 3, 2024. (Photo: National Assembly)

8:07 am  - National Assembly Speaker Wetang’ula calls the meeting to order

8:06 am - The first person to appear before the Committee on Appointments on Friday is the Cabinet Secretary Nominee to serve in the Ministry of National Treasury and Planning John Mbadi.

He has been serving in the National Assembly as a nominated Member and Chaired the National Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (BCom), Accounting Option from the University of Nairobi and he is a Certified Public Accountant of Kenya.

 

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