MPs right to reject Monica Juma, says Ndaragwa MP

Ndaragwa Member of Parliament Francis Waweru Nderitu has defended the National Assembly over the rejection of Monica Juma’s nomination as Secretary to the Cabinet.

The MP accused some his colleagues of double standards for not following the matter closely, noting that government officials must respect the offices they are meant to serve, listen to the public and recognise that members of Parliament are the people’s representatives and hence cannot go begging for personal favors.

He warned that the National Assembly will not be used as a rubber stamp to pass government officials whose character is questionable simply because the president has forwarded their names for consideration, adding that it was unfortunate that MPs can complain of rogue officers perpetuating corruption yet when a complaint is made they are dismissed.

While castigating the Commission for the Implementation of the Constitution (CIC) Chairman Charles Nyachae for his stance on the matter,  Nderitu added that the move to reject Monica Juma should not be misconstrued to mean that MPs do not support the president, but rather a clear statement to public officers to act diligently and respect their offices.

The National Assembly rejected Juma’s nomination as Secretary to the Cabinet on the grounds that she wrote a letter to the clerks of Parliament taking issue with MPs frequenting her office to ask for favors.

Committee Chairman Asman Kamama explained that their recommendation was based on the fact that Juma displayed arrogance and insensitivity to the needs and concerns of the public and their elected leaders.

Kamama, in his statement, accused the nominee of lacking demonstrable passion to serve the public and their elected leaders.