Bartamaha (Nairobi):- National Assembly Deputy Speaker Farah Maalim has told off Foreign Affairs Minister Moses Wetang’ula for calling on a parliamentary committee to investigate his activities while on official duty abroad.
The Deputy Speaker said he led a delegation of parliamentary committee that visited Somaliland in December and would this week present a report before the House on the tour.
“I have no obligation to write to Mr Wetang’ula or the Executive over my trip because Parliament works independently from the Executive,” he said.
Mr Maalim said Wetang’ula, an accomplished lawyer, should have known that under the Standing Orders the Deputy Speaker is in charge of all committees of the House and cannot therefore be summoned by any of them.
“If an issue arises, the fate of the Speaker and that of his Deputy can only be decided by the House and not departmental committees,” he added.
And Maalim noted that even the Speaker does not have the powers to preside over the committee unless the Deputy Speaker is absent or directs so.
“Wetang’ula still lives in the old Kanu days, which he misses and cherishes so much when ministers used to summon MPs and the Speaker at will. Parliament is independent at least for now and he should let go his dreams of the Kanu days,” he added.
Report
The Chairman of the Defence and Foreign Relations Committee Adan Keynan yesterday called The Standard to refute claims he said his committee would summon the Deputy Speaker.
“We received Wetang’ula’s letter but under the Standing orders we cannot summon the Deputy Speaker,” he said.
He said they had compiled a report on the trip, which would be tabled in the House.

Maalim said the Somalia Transitional Federal Government envoy Muhammed Ali Nur had welcomed the visit.
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Source: the standard newspaper

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