The National Assembly has been forced to delay its scheduled short recess at the end of March in order to vet Mr Hilary Mutyambai for the position of Inspector-General of Police.
This follows President Uhuru Kenyatta’s submission of his name to parliament on yesterday.
The vetting is scheduled for next week and if approved for appointment, Mr Mutyambai will take over from Mr Joseph Boinnet whose four-year term ended last week.
According to the Constitution, the vetting of the person of IG is one of a kind because it involves a joint sitting of the committees of the National Assembly and the Senate.
The National Assembly was expected to take a short recess from March 28. The development means that by the time the joint report is expected in the respective Houses – on April 2 – the MPs will be on recess and therefore unlikely to either approve or reject the nominee.
If Parliament fails to approve or reject the nominee within the required timelines, the Public Appointment (Parliamentary Approval) Act presupposes that the nominee is deemed to have been recommended for appointment.
Nevertheless, Mr Muturi said the joint vetting will be overseen by the Committee on Administration and National Security, alongside that on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations of the Senate.
