Parliament is expected to debate on the nomination and approve President Uhuru’s nominee Hillary Mutyambai if he fits the bill to succeed Joseph Boinnet whose term has ended.
The Senate and National Assembly committees charged with matters Defence and National Security will jointly vet Hillary.
The vetting process will, therefore, be jointly conducted by the Departmental Committee on Administration and National Security of the National Assembly and the Senate’s Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations.
Boinnet was named Tourism CAS and will equally be subjected to a vetting process before his appointment.
Speaker Justin Muturi informed the House that he has consulted with his Senate counterpart Ken Lusaka on the vetting plan.
He said, in the interest of time, they agreed on the need for agreeing on the most judicious manner of facilitating Parliament to discharge the “important task”.
“We have agreed that the vetting of the nominee for appointment as Inspector General of Police shall be conducted jointly by the committees of the two Houses mandated to deal with matters of national security.”
The two Assembly leaders further agreed that the chairpersons of the two respective committees will co-chair the joint sittings and the secretariat will comprise officers of the two Houses.
“As contemplated under rule 9( 6 ) of the Joint Rules, unless a decision is reached by consensus, any vote to be taken in the joint sitting of the committees shall be by separate Houses,” Muturi said.
He said this will ensure that the numerical difference of the individual members representing the Houses in the joint sittings has no effect on the decisions of the joint sittings of the committees.
The two committees shall by April 2 submit a joint report to the respective Houses as laid down in the standing orders.
Since the House has planned a short recess starting March 28, a period within which it shall be required by law to approve Mutyambai’s nomination, the House committee is expected to give a way forward.
“I will be asking the House Business committee to propose a way forward with respect to the calendar of the House to ensure that the process is concluded within the statutory timelines,” Muturi said.