The Parliamentary Service Commission has come through with its succession plan, following the approval of 16 key people to midwife the change-over to the new dispensation.
The House, late on Thursday night, approved two people as the Clerks of the Senate and the National Assembly.
Mr Jeremiah Makokha Nyegenye and Mr Justin Nthiiri Bundi are the new clerks of the Senate and the National Assembly, respectively.
The Clerks, as per the Constitution, will have to be approved by the MPs to serve in that position. “There shall be a Clerk for each House of Parliament, appointed by the Parliamentary Service Commission with the approval of the relevant House,” reads article 128 of the Constitution.
Mr Nyegenye is the Head of Parliament’s Legal Department. He becomes the pioneer Clerk of the Senate, after its reinstatement following the promulgation of the new Constitution two years ago. There was a Senate in Kenya’s Constitution, but it was abolished in 1966 as the country pushed for an imperial presidency.
Mr Nyegenye has had a chequered legal career and is respected among his peers.
The seasoned law scholar, and lecturer, has a degree and a masters in law from the University of Nairobi; a diploma from the Kenya School of Law, and post-graduate Certificates in Legislative Drafting from the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies of the University of London, the International Legislative Drafting Institute, New Orleans and the International Law Institute.
He’s a member of the Law Society of Kenya, the Institute of Certified Public Secretaries of Kenya, the Kenyan Section of the International Commission of Jurists, the East African Law Society and the Commonwealth Association of Legislative Counsel.
Mr Bundi is a Senior Deputy Clerk in charge of infrastructure and development. He was the pioneer Clerk of the East African Legislative Assembly. He will succeed Mr Patrick Gichohi, who has been in parliamentary service for the last 33 years. Mr Gichohi is set to retire at the end on the year.
PSC vice chairman, Mr Adan Keynan, said Mr Bundi and Mr Nyegenye, will be dispatched to the United Kingdom, to study the workings of the House of Commons, so that when they come back, they have an idea of how to oversee the transition from a single-chamber Parliament to a bicameral House.
“The process was fair and the people got the positions on merit,” added Mr Peter Mwathi (Limuru), who is also a commissioner of the PSC. “We also met the gender threshold”.
The commission concluded the interviews of the candidates on Thursday afternoon.
The PSC also picked the deputies of the Clerks; directors for legislative services, for committees and for the Speaker’s Office (for both the Senate and the National Assembly). It has also set up a joint services unit, which will deal with the cross-cutting issues between the Senate and the National Assembly. This team will be headed by a Director General and he will be supported by the other directors.
Ms Consolata Munga, who came fourth in the interviews for Clerks, was picked as the Senior Deputy Clerk in charge of the Senate; while the distinguished principal Clerk, Mr Michael Sialai, was elevated to the position of Senior Deputy Clerk, of the National Assembly.
Mr Sialai take over from Mr Owino Omollo, who retired from parliamentary service to go and join politics for the Kisumu gubernatorial seat.
Mr Clement Nyandiere, the current director of Information and Research Services, now goes ahead to lead the Directorate of Joint Services—as the pioneer Director General, where the administrative functions of the Senate and the National Assembly will confluence.
Ms Eunice Gichangi, who’s been working in the Legal Department, has succeeded Mr Nyegenye as the Director of Legal Services. Mr Njenga Njuguna, who has been in the research department, has been appointed the Director of Committee Services for the Senate, while Ms Florence Abonyo has been picked to a similar position but with supervision over the National Assembly.
Mr Paul Onyango was picked as a Director of Finance; Mr Anthony Njoroge was picked to Director of Litigation, Joint Services. The Serjeant at Arms for the Senate is Major(rtd) Solomon Obange.
The Director for the Speaker’s Office in the Senate is Mohammed Ali, while Ms Nancy Mukunya, will take a similar position in the National Assembly. Ms Gladys Ndeda was also picked as the Hansard Editor
The only outsider is Prof Nyokabi Kamau, a lecturer, who’s been appointed as the Director for the Centre of Parliamentary Studies.
According to a report of the PSC and that of the recruitment firm, PricewaterhouseCoopers, there were 32 applications for the post of the Clerk of the National Assembly; while 45 people had applied for the position of the Clerk of the National Assembly.
PwC screened the applications, interviewed, eight people and shortlisted the five.
When the final interviews were carried out, Mr Nyegenye scored 89 per cent; Mr Bundi 87 per cent, Mr Ayacko 75 per cent while Ms Munga got 68 per cent.The PSC, which is chaired by Speaker Kenneth Marende assessed the candidates based on their experience and track-record; their knowledge of the legislative procedures, and their leadership and management skills.
Apart from the Speaker, others who sat in that panel were the PSC Vice chairman, Mr Adan Keynan, and commissioners Zakayo Cheruiyot, Chris Okemo, Peter Mwathi, Olago Aluoch, Wilson Litole, Joseph Lekuton, Walter Nyambati and the outgoing Clerk Patrick Gichohi.
www.nation.co.ke/News/politics/PSC+approves+key+people+to+help+in+transition/-/1064/1531290/-/item/1/-/14g6sd2z/-/index.htmlNew Clerks for Parliament and Senate
By Peter Opiyo
Parliament’s Principal legal officer Mr Jeremiah Nyegenye is set to become the Clerk of the Senate while Justin Bundi is set to head the National Assembly as the Clerk.
The Parliamentary Service Commission, appointed the two to take up the positions following the creation of a Bicameral Parliament. They await the approval of Parliament. If approved Mr Bundi will replace Clerk Patrick Gichohi who is set to retire in December.
Nyegenye, who was recruited from the State Law Office five years ago, is the founder of the legal department in Parliament and works closely with the Speaker Kenneth Marende in generating some of the ‘Solomonic’ rulings that have been made by the Speaker. He also assists MPs in refining and generating Bills.
Mr Bundi worked with the East African Legislative Assembly as Clerk and is currently in charge of infrastructural projects in Parliament.
PricewaterhouseCoopers was contracted to conduct interviews for the position.
Parliament is conducting the recruitment of staff as it gets ready for the bicameral parliament, following the endorsement of the new Constitution.
As part of the roll-up Parliament’s Old Chamber is being renovated to House the Senate while the New Chamber has been renovated to house the National Assembly members, whose numbers are expected to increase to 349 members.
www.standardmedia.co.ke/?articleID=2000068183&story_title=New-Clerks-for-Parliament-and-Senate